I’ve always liked the flavor of artichokes, but the texture can sometimes be a bit off-putting. For me, it usually happens frozen artichoke hearts are thawed and they become mushy. When you chop them up for dips, the texture isn’t as much of an issue, but sometimes you want the artichoke to be the star of the show instead of it being masked with cream cheese and a copious amount of (delicious) Parmesan.
For this recipe, fresh artichokes are boiled until tender, coated generously in olive oil and garlic, then broiled until golden brown. I added a simple balsamic mayo dipping sauce on the side, but it’s not necessary if you don’t like mayonnaise.
*Note: If you haven’t cooked a fresh artichoke before, I have a few notes on how to prepare them. First, you want to remove the top of the artichoke as well as the bottom 1/4-1/2 inch of the stem. Next, if your artichoke has pointy ends on the end, you want the cut off each point using kitchen shears. After you’ve removed all of the points, cut the artichoke in half vertically. You will see the artichoke has thistle-like needles in the middle – this is the choke. You can either remove it before boiling or after, but make sure to remove it before serving. Artichokes brown easily, so it’s nice to have a bowl of cold lemon water handy to keep the artichokes looking fresh and green before boiling.
Broiled Garlickly Artichokes & Balsamic Mayo
serves two as an appetizer
Ingredients:
one artichoke, cut in half (see note above)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 Tbs mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar (you can sub out regular balsamic vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste
In a small ramekin, mix together mayonnaise, half of the minced garlic and the balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, then cover and refrigerate until serving.
Bring a stockpot of water (large enough to hold the artichoke) to a boil. Boil artichokes for 15-20 minutes, or until stems are knife tender. Remove artichokes from water and let drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to high and make sure your oven rack is on the top setting, or close to it. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and remaining garlic. Place the artichokes cut side up on an aluminium foil lined baking sheet and brush liberally with the garlic olive oil mixture. Broil for approximately 5 minutes, or until oil is sizzling and the artichokes have browned nicely.
Let cool briefly and serve with balsamic mayo.
Recipe loosely adapted from AllRecipes
