Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Cheap 'chokes


Dave the Cook

Recommended Posts

Slice up the hearts, eggwash with parmigiano and black pepper/salt, coat with breadcrumbs, pan or deep fry them in pure olive oil. Procure some Prosecco or Pinot Grigio.

Any questions?

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Blanch the artichokes. Split and submerge in a pan o chicken stock, red wine , caramelised shallots, herbs, etc...Braised, they are very good.

Is this barigoule? I've always wanted to make barigoule.

OK, not so much make it as say it. It's as much fun to say as "spatchcock."

Dave Scantland
Executive director
dscantland@eGstaff.org
eG Ethics signatory

Eat more chicken skin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is not so much a suggestion for cooking artchokes, but I recently discovered that steamed artichokes are fantastic paired with gin martinis. The artichoke actually smooths out the martini, and the martini cuts through that weird metallic aftertaste that artichokes often seem to have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the Zuni cookbook -- artichokes baked with onions, olives and mint. I made it a couple of Sundays ago with a roast pork -- holy cow! I still think about it. The leftovers on Monday were at least as good, maybe better.

Also, sauted slowly in butter with potatoes. Then tossed with a persillade at the end. From Richard Olney's Lulu's Provencal Table. I used this as the basis for a frittata as well with great success

Charley Martel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then there's that dish where you trim them, take out the thistley part, and fry them with a heavy pan on top of them. Can't remember more of the details (several bottles of unbelievable wine later), but I bet Marcella Hazen's book covers this one. It was divine.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought two artichokes at the market not long ago. I'd never cooked artichokes before but I decided it was time to try them.

I cooked them on a night when the Guy and the Spawn were going to be out for dinner without me. I planned them as a side dish type thing. Ha! I ended up eating nothing but steamed artichokes for dinner. All I did was dip them in mayonnaise (as directed by my friend and neighbour, who is also a native Californian).

Yum!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've made a stew with artichokes (well-trimmed and cut into wedges), potatoes, garlic, olives, saffron, and orange (zest + juice) that's good.

Also, I like them well-trimmed and baked, with garlicky, herby, oily bread crumbs stuffed in wherever you can fit them (in the center & among the petals).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marcella has a recipe that involves stuffing the bottoms, or hearts if you prefer, with their (peeled) chopped stems, parsley, parm, s&p and butter. Set them on their little, well, bottoms in a covered pan containing a half inch of water and a nice dab of butter. She says they cook in 10-30 minutes (keep testing, and check that the pan doesn't dry out.) Reduce the liquid to a couple of tablespoons, anoint the chokes, and serve lukewarm.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've made a stew with artichokes (well-trimmed and cut into wedges), potatoes, garlic, olives, saffron, and orange (zest + juice) that's good. 

Never imagined myself saying this - and me with all that vaunted purism where artichokes are concerned! - but OMG that sounds wonderful and please will you post the recipe or, if there isn't one, a few more details of how-much-how-long?

Rushing back meanwhile to the purist camp where I belong... Jensen, give you joy of your all-artichoke meal - something I too often indulge in when on my own, though I don't know if I could stop at two. I'm always torn between melted butter and mayonnaise/vinaigrette-ish amalgams. But it suddenly occurs to me that I might experiment with broadening that scope a bit: I bet this saffron aioli I just discovered and immediately plunged myself into would be an exciting complement to artichokes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rushing back meanwhile to the purist camp where I belong... Jensen, give you joy of your all-artichoke meal - something I too often indulge in when on my own, though I don't know if I could stop at two.

I will confess that I didn't even make it through both of them! I was stuffed by the time I had just dented the last half (I halved mine before steaming them) so I ended up skipping right to the heart and leaving some of the leaves.

I'm always torn between melted butter and mayonnaise/vinaigrette-ish amalgams.

Aioli would be nice too. Or melted butter with lemon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Almost finished processing a dozen and a half baby artichokes tonight. The work will be done tomorrow morning:

  • Trimmed off and peeled stems. (discarded outside trim; set aside stems)
  • Pulled off outside leaves, until pale inside leaves were visible (set aside pulled-off leaves)
  • Cut off barbed tops (1/3) of remaining artichoke (set aside trimmed-off leaf tops)
  • Trimmed bottoms of artichokes neatly (set aside trimmed-off bits)
  • Cut trimmed artichokes in quarters; cut out and set aside fuzzy chokes.
  • Stewed quartered artichokes in white wine, water, and olive oil, with black peppercorns, black cardamom, and coriander seeds. Put away in fridge in canning jars (with liquid) when done.
  • Boiled all the trimmings with plain water until the fleshy parts were soft.
  • "Pureed" solids in food processor; mixed back with liquid; strained through cheesecloth-lined strainer; pulled corners up and hung cheesecloth bag to drip out remaining puree overnight.

In the morning, I'll squeeze out any remaining puree into the liquid, then pack and freeze it. The resulting "stock" is great for artichoke soup, as a liquid for cooking lamb, and whatever else that can benefit from the flavor of artichokes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just had some that were the hearts dipped in batter and deep fried and dusted with parmesan cheese. Pretty yummy!

I love making a meal of those nice ones that are the size of baby heads! I steam them and then dip in melted butter with lemon juice and cracked black pepper.

That with a nice side of steak tartare and I'm set!

The stars above me are not real, they are the sparks from smitting steel - Michael Penn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never imagined myself saying this - and me with all that vaunted purism where artichokes are concerned! - but OMG that sounds wonderful and please will you post the recipe or, if there isn't one, a few more details of how-much-how-long?

I don't remember the particulars, except that it was good. I think I used smallish, yellowish potatoes, cut into wedges, and then I sauteed them in olive oil along with the garlic and artichokes. Then I added some water, a pinch of saffron, some grated orange zest, salt and pepper, and some pitted black olives (I don't remember what kind--either Kalamata because I always have lots of them around, or some fancy Spanish ones. I know they were dark, though, contrasting prettily with the rest of the dish.). I covered the pot and let everything simmer for 15-20 minutes, till tender but not overly so. When it was just about ready, I threw in a big wad of minced parsley, and maybe juice from half of the orange I got the zest from.

Edited to add: I forgot about onions! I bet I first fried a nice onion till it was getting yellowish before I added the potatoes et al.

Also, about quantities: 4 big or 8 small artichokes, 12oz of potatoes, big handful of olives, the rest to taste.

Edited by beccaboo (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you trim them properly, and slice them paper thin, they're tender enough to add raw to salads. Or just toss the slices with shaved parm, lemon juice and EVOO.

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you trim them properly, and slice them paper thin, they're tender enough to add raw to salads.

And they don't have a funny bitter taste? I know my fingers always taste terrible when I lick them after trimming artichokes....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...