Have you seen them yet? Plump and silvery green with prickly scales and furry centers; they’re in season right now. Big, beautiful springtime artichokes are here.
I’ve certainly eaten my fair share of artichokes over the years and I savor every delicious moment they are in season during the spring months and again for a shorter time in the fall.
Don’t let yourself be intimidated, although they may be a bit tricky to prepare, they are well worth the effort. Once you’ve tamed their prickly thorns and fuzzy chokes this edible bulb offers a delicate taste, sweet and mellow that can’t be matched.
Eating an artichoke is a hands-on experience. Peeling back each delicate petal with your fingers and dragging it gently between your teeth to remove the soft fleshy bit forces you to slow down and appreciate every delicious bite, until you finally reach the best part: the tender heart.
My usual preparation is generally to steam them whole and enjoy them with a vinaigrette, but when I want to dress them up, I head for the oven.
No exotic ingredients, unusual spices or complicated cooking methods, just a gentle braise that results in an ambrosial fragrance that will invade your kitchen.
After stripping off the tough outer leaves, snipping off the thorns, and removing the inner choke, I toss the artichokes in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and white wine flavored with garlic and thyme and seasoned with sea salt and ground pepper. The garlic and thyme gently infuse the braising liquid with a subtle, elusive flavor.
Serve them either warm or chilled with an extra squeeze of lemon juice and a shower of fresh parsley, linger and enjoy.
Oven Braised Artichokes
Gently braised artichokes in a garlic and thyme infused marinade.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup/60ml extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup/60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Peel from one of the lemons
- ¼ cup/60ml good quality white wine or water
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 small garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- 4 large artichokes
- 2 Tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large roasting pan, combine all the ingredients except the artichokes.
- Pull off and discard the thick outer leaves of the artichokes by bending them back and pulling them down toward the stem (Remove leaves that are dark green, but do not remove leaves that are green at the top and yellow on the bottom).
- Snip off the tops of the leaves (at the point where the green and yellow come together) and trim around the base of the artichoke heart to smooth the sides and peel the stem.
- Cut in half and scoop out the fuzzy choke with a small spoon. As each artichoke heart half is completed, add to the pan with the braising liquid, turning them to coat completely and prevent browning.
- Cover the pan with a lid or parchment lined aluminum foil and cook until the hearts are tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and let the artichokes cool in the braising liquid.
- Garnish with a chopped parsley, serve warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Notes
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 305mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Russell at Chasing Delicious says
I just bought artichokes and I have that exact same silver bowl! It's like I was meant to make this recipe.
My Little Expat Kitchen says
Oh, I can't wait to eat the first artichokes of the season. What a great way of preparing them. Simplicity at its best!
Magda
Jeanette says
I have to say I've always been a bit intimidated by artichokes. This recipe sounds amazing and as always, your photography makes me drool.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Oh Sylvie, My whole family adores artichokes. This sounds like a wonderful way to infuse a little extra flavor.
the wicked noodle says
I love artichokes in just about everything! My favorite is grilled with a garlic aioli but yours sounds so good it could definitely rival it.
Sylvie says
Ooo, the garlic aioli sounds delicious!
amelia from z tasty life says
I adore artichokes, they minty-lemony-woodsy aroma. I do mine simply as well, close to this recipe, using garlic and parsley. The baby ones are particularly fun to serve as a side dish.
Kiri W. says
Beautiful - I've never had braised artichokes, though I love them steamed. This goes on my to do list, what with artichokes and garlic being two of my addictions 🙂
Rosa says
Delicious and refined! I really have to cook more with artichokes.
Cheers,
Rosa
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I had a big, fresh, awesome artichoke in my hands at the groc store on Wed and put it back because I am so horrible at preparing them...wish I would have gotten it b/c now I really want an artichoke!
Divya Yadava says
Sounds like such a simple & elegant dish that's packed with flavour... I haven't tried my hand at making artichokes at home yet (yes, I'm a little intimidated by them!), but hope to try soon!
Sylvie says
Don't be intimidated, they are easier than they look to prepare.