A Winning Recipe For Artichokes

 Meaty artichokes are perfectly matched with a pungent garlic-anchovy dressing   

I love artichokes. I have fond memories of gorging on them one family holiday in California. I was a rapt audience as my mom and her friend trimmed, boiled, stuffed and baked them. This was an afternoon project, a proverbial labour of love. We'd eat them as an appetizer, first dipping the leaves in melted butter, scraping the tender meat with our teeth, working our way to the heart, which was covered in a soft, herby cheese. At 17, I couldn't imagine a more decadent, sensual food experience. I think just about everyone who isn't a chef, and maybe even some of them too, has a cooking nemesis. The ingredient or recipe that intimidates the hell out of you. Something that at once draws you to it and simultaneously pushes you away, saying no you will screw me up, don't even try it. Despite or perhaps because of my nostalgic memories, for me that ingredient has been artichokes. In my professional career, I have researched and written about them. I have concepted and edited recipes in which they star. But I always shy away from cooking them. My husband jokes about it every time we see them at the market; that he has no idea what they taste like, he'll hold one up and quizzically ask what vegetable it is. He's funny, my husband.

I couldn't turn away from these lovely purple-hued chokes 

I read a great blog post recently by Anna Watson Carl on The Yellow Table about fear. It's strange the things we're intimidated by because often they are things that will be rewarding, uplifting and even pleasurable, when achieved, while the downfall of any failing will be so small in comparison. My issue with artichokes came from the fact that there's a lot of prep and that maybe they wouldn't be that good after all that work. And it's a fear not without its justification – I've had this experience when I've tackled them in the past. But then I saw some gorgeous "sangria" artichokes at Whole Foods and they were so lovely, I kept circling back to them. Finally, I decided to buy them and come at the process with a different viewpoint. They are a vegetable. I cook all manner of vegetables all the time, confidently and without a recipe. I am also equipped with technical knowledge of how to prepare said vegetable. Why not forget fancy recipes and focus on prepping the artichokes and then marrying with flavours I enjoy? And that's what I did. 

Preparing artichokes isn't actually difficult. Just a little fussy. The basic idea is to remove anything really tough or inedible, just as you would with any other vegetable. On most young, medium sized artichokes, the stem is as tasty as the heart, so you just need to peel it. You can get fancy and trim the tops of the leaves or you can just remove the tough outer leaves and cut the very tops off the artichoke. Artichokes brown easily, so either rub with a slice of lemon as you make cuts or place in a bowl of lemon water. The choke is not as scary as it sounds. It's the fuzzy centre of the artichoke that sits above the heart. When quartering artichokes, you can use a spoon or melon baller to remove from each quarter and then give the choke a rinse. Or, if you're paring the artichoke all the way down to the heart and keeping it intact, you can just scrape it off the top. At the end of the day, some of the work lies in the hands of the person eating the artichoke. They will eat the leaves that are tender enough, scrape the meat off the leaves that are not and eat the heart that is the real gift of the artichoke. So as I told myself, don't worry about it so much. 

For flavours, I turned to an unbeatable Italian trio: garlic, anchovies and chili flakes. If you're not sold on anchovies, I understand, leave 'em out. But if you're just turned off by the thought of anchovy, maybe give it a try. The flavours marry so well, and they're not fishy. Just really delicious. They get a bit crisp as they fry. You'll want bread for mopping it all up. 

So as you can see from this post, I am intimidated no more. They turned out great. Actually, better than great! I would love to hear what food has been your foe in the kitchen – perhaps we can tackle it together!

Give artichokes a simmer before sautéing

Sautéed Artichokes with Garlic, Anchovies & Chili 
Prep Time: 25 min. | Total Time: 50 min. | Makes: 4
2 lemons, divided 
4 medium artichokes
pinch salt  
2 bay leaves 
2 large cloves garlic
3 to 4 anchovy fillets (packed in oil)
1/2 tsp chili flakes (to taste) 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Slice one of the lemons in half and squeeze into the water. Prepare artichokes, working one at a time, by removing any really tough outer leaves, cutting off tops of artichoke and peeling stems. Slice each artichoke in quarters, removing the fuzzy choke fibres using a teaspoon or melon baller. Place artichokes in lemon water to prevent browning. 

Cut second lemon into slices and place in a large pot with water, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and place artichokes in water. Simmer for approx. 10 to 15 min. until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, mince garlic and anchovy as finely as possible to make a paste (use a little salt for friction or a mortar and pestle if you have one). Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic-anchovy paste and chili flakes. Place drained artichokes cut side down in skillet. Sauté until browned and turn to brown on other side.