Promise me something: The next time you see baby artichokes, whether in a 9- or 12-pack clamshell of indeterminate origin at your local supermarket or loose at your local farmer’s market (jealous, as ours won’t be here for some time), I want you to buy every single one of them. All of them. This is no time to share with the next customer or to be a good locavore citizen. Trust your local artichoke-obsessed food blogger on this one; without fail, they disappear for the season the moment you discover their awesomeness, which I hope we’re all about to do.
As I admitted recently, despite the fact that they’re my favorite vegetable, we don’t talk much about artichokes around here because I know they’re fussy to deal with, and for most people, this is a dealbreaker. It’s also because my favorite way to eat big artichokes is rather boring — boiled or steamed whole until deathly soft, the leaves pulled and dipped into a hodge-podged sauce of mayo, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. With a glass of white wine and a simple green salad on the side, I honestly don’t know why I eat anything else for dinner, ever.
But all of this changed a few summers ago when I discovered the magical, wonderful world of the aforementioned fresh baby artichokes, which I hope you’ll remember we’ve agreed you’ll never pass up at a store again. Baby artichokes are everything that their big counterparts are not — they require minimal prep (you can eat most of the leaves whole and there’s no fibrous choke to remove) and barely any cooking time. I found if I parboiled them for 5 minutes and tossed them into a blazing hot oven or onto an equally singeing grill with olive oil and coarse salt, they emerged crispy, frizzled and showstopping, the leaves golden and layered like baklava and unfathomably delicious. Showered with fresh lemon juice and a handful of chopped parsley (if yours, unlike mine, has yet emerged beyond the microgreen tuft stage), these bite-sized wonders make a gorgeous summer appetizer, should you be nice enough to share with friends, or a dinner worth hoarding. And let’s be honest: I mostly hoard them.
However, as I know large artichokes are often easier to find, in the interest of science I used a similar approach to cook them yesterday. The results are as delicious, but definitely more wasteful as you’ll have to toss much more of them to get to the edible-once-crisped parts. Whichever you can get your hands on this spring and summer, I rarely feel as confident as I do that you could fall as in love with these as we have. And if you don’t, just call me and I’ll be happy to make short work of your leftovers. I promise, having a 34-week preggo show up to inhale your artichokes wouldn’t be awkward at all.
One year ago: Nancy’s Chopped Salad
Two years ago: Rhubarb Cream Cheese Hand Pies
Three years ago: Asparagus with Almonds and Yogurt Dressing
Four years ago: Fudge Popsicles
Five years ago: Shaved Asparagus Pizza
Six years ago: Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
Seven years ago: Haricot Vert with Shallots
Eight years ago: Zucchini Carpaccio Salad
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Decadent Hot Chocolate Mix
1.5 Years Ago: Parsley Leaf Potatoes and Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
2.5 Years Ago: Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies
3.5 Years Ago: Cauliflower Feta Fritters with Pomegranate
Crispy Frizzled Artichokes
About the lemon: Artichokes love to turn brown the second you cut them. Rubbing the exposed sides or anywhere your knife touched the ‘choke with the cut side of a lemon half prevents this, but it’s honestly impossible to prevent all browning, no matter how careful you are. Here’s the good news: I find it really doesn’t matter. The browning has no effect whatsoever on taste, and also disappears the second the artichokes go into boiling water. So, don’t fret if you can keep up with oxidation process; it will all be the same in the long run.
Shown here: A mix of baby purple artichokes and monstrously huge globe artichokes.
Baby or large artichokes, as many as you wish to prep and eat
1 to 2 lemons, halved (1 should be fine for smaller amounts)
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Chopped flat-leaf parsley (for garnish, optional)
Prepare artichokes: Snap back toughest and unevenly sized outer leaves, peeling and plucking until you get to the paler yellowish leaves that are all the full length of the artichoke. Be careful of thorns; almost every leaf ends in one. If they’re particularly bothersome, you can lop off the bottom third of the artichoke at this point. (We will otherwise do it next.) For baby artichokes, cut off bottom 1/3 of leaves. For full-sized artichokes, cut off bottom 2/3 of leaves (more than you see in my photos), leaving only the top parts attached to the stem and heart. Rub all cut sides with lemon.
Use a knife to pare down rough spots where leaves met the heart. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the outermost layer of the stem and “neck” of the artichoke. With tiny artichokes, the stems are sometimes too small or in bad shape to be used, in which case, feel free to trim them off. Rub exposed sides with lemon.
Halve baby artichokes lengthwise through the stem; for full-sized artichokes, quarter them through the stem. Rub cut sides with lemon.
If you’re using baby artichokes, you’re done with prep. If you’re using full-sized artichokes, you’ll need to take the additional step of cutting out and discarding the fibrous fuzzy (and unpleasant to eat) choke and the wiry (often purple) inner leaves. [See photos above for a visual aid.]
Heat oven or grill: Heat oven to 400 degrees, a gas grill to its highest setting or a charcoal grill to a very high temperature.
Par-boil artichokes: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add trimmed artichokes and the halved lemon you’ve been using to prevent browning. Boil them for 5 minutes (for baby artichokes) or 10 to 15 minutes (for full-sized artichokes), until a knife point inserted into the neck of the artichoke pierces easily to the center. Drain artichokes well; discard lemon half.
If roasting artichokes: Drizzle roasting pan with olive oil, spread drained artichokes in a single layer, drizzle with a little additional olive oil and shower with coarse salt. Roast baby artichokes for 15 minutes, then flip, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp and browned. Roast full-sized artichokes for 20 to 25 minutes, then flip, and roast for another 15 to 20, also until crisp and browned.
If grilling artichokes: In a large bowl, toss drained artichokes with a glug or so of olive oil, enough that they all glisten. Season with salt. If the grill grates are close enough together, I use tongs to arrange the artichokes in one layer. If not, you might need to use a vegetable tray to keep the artichokes from falling through. Grill until artichokes are crisp and brown.
To serve: Shower with additional lemon juice (from second half of lemon), any extra salt (if needed) and parsley. Eat soon, or someone else will.
OK OK fine, I’ll start making my own artichoke dishes. I just can’t not eat them. Just like I can’t not eat speculoos cookie butter. Where in the city have you been finding these lovely babies? I don’t even think my Astoria supermarket carries the grown ones!
(Also, I was about to recommend the artichoke appetizer (fresh, with lemon) from Bianca on Bleecker St. but alas, they’ve switched over to fried baby artichokes, with parlsey! Oh hey now!)
I tasted Jewish fried artichokes in Rome one year – crispy on the outside and melting inside – I have been trying to recreate them ever since. I think the kind of artichokes made the difference – like yours you could eat the whole thing. Glad you are exposing others to this yummy treat and I have no problem with hoarding them!
Errrr yes please. I love ANYTHING artichoke. It’s literally my fave. This looks absolutely INCREDIBLE!!
Deb, been following your site for years. You’re my go-to for anything I think I might want to cook. They’re all good, and I never, ever have a problem with any of them. Thank you for great recipes, gorgeous pictures and wonderful and funny commentary. And congrats in advance on the new addition.
pb
Sarah — I found the baby purple ones by accident (pretty much the only way I find them) at Chelsea Market’s Manhattan Fruit Exchange, which is actually a pretty great place to get anything fruit/vegetable and even a little obscure. There was also a whole spring/summer that Trader Joe’s had 9- and 12-packs of fresh baby artichokes almost every time I went, though I haven’t been in a while this spring. The big ones were from Whole Foods, but I see them at most stores these days. And if I remember correctly, by mid/late June, I think you’ll see artichokes at a bunch of stands in Union Square, definitely Mignorelli, probably others. But they definitely seem to be less of a big thing to grow here on the east coast. I often walk right by them before realizing they’re here.
sillygirl — Yes, these are a lot like the Roman ones! But not fritti. :)
pb — Thank you.
I grew up eating them steamed until soft, then dipped in lemon butter. Few things better in life.
In my early 20’s I was obsessed with a Memphis restaurant that cut the adult artichokes in half, seasons the hell out of them, then grilled them and served with a homemade remoulade. Heaven.
Now I obviously need to try them like this, just to continue my research or something.
I grew up eating artichokes. My mother loved them. She would boil them and serve them chilled with a lemony vinaigrette to dip the leaves in. Just the whole process of eating them was fun, leaving a “wreath” of leaves around the plate nicely staked, and then best part, getting to the heart which to me was so yummy. almost creamy in it’s artichoke goodness. It was basically a ritual. As much as I love them, I’ve never really prepared them any other way, and have never tried baby ones. I will have to broaden my choke horizons now and try this. Thank you!
Would canned/jarred/frozen artichoke hearts work in a pinch?
Or is that an abomination?
Thanks for the recipe, I too LOVE artichokes.
Isadora — I made these once with frozen artichoke hearts. They’re good, but not as great. It definitely took longer than I’d expected to get any color on them, and it wasn’t as crispy. But they’d be my vote (over jarred or canned) in a pinch.
Deb, I have been waiting for those! In the meantime I had some in Spain and they were lovely and I bet yours will be even better. Yummy and many thanks, from a fellow artichoke lover.
Nicole
I accept your challenge.
Thank you! I’ll need a Trader Joe’s run soon to restock on pound-plus chocolate, so I will check and report back!
Hi-
My first comment, though I read here constantly. Here in California we are blessed with year-round artichokes (please don’t hate us). I love artichokes, and dip them in doctored jarred mayonnaise–add tons of lemon juice and minced fresh garlic. Meyer lemons if possible, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Heavenly.
Diane
Hi Deb, I’m at 36 weeks pregnant now, and I’ve started thinking about foods to cook ahead of time. I know you didn’t really do so last time, but I was wondering if you are thinking about cooking and freezing meals in advance this time? Or, do you have recommendations on what to make, and is it too early for me to start doing this now? Or should I wait a couple of weeks so they don’t get too freezer burnt? Thanks!
These look wonderful! I’m usually one to avoid veggies with a lot of fussy prep but these look worth the effort.
I’m also 36 weeks pregnant and starting to think about frozen meal prep. I was planning to scour your archives for this week, it would be so exciting if you had some ideas of where to start!
Just finished reading EATING ROME! Elizabeth Minchilli dedicates a chapter to these beauties! AND NOW I HAVE A RECIPE TO MAKE THEM! My mouth is water! Seriously.
Could you use frozen artichoke hearts here or would that defeat the purpose?!
My wife and I joke around here how we would love to eat artichokes except we have no clue how to prepare them! It’s the #1 thing we order from restaurants, Ha, okay, sending this recipe to my mom, maybe she can help us? I know, we’re pathetic.
HOLD ON
“loose at your local farmer’s market (jealous, as ours won’t be here for some time)”
When/where do you get farmer’s market artichokes in nyc?????????????????????
gee i don’t think i have ever even had ‘baby’ artichokes? now i’m nervous! will i really have to hoard and fight for them when spotted?! either way, will do. smitten is my guru.
The Dad and his “mini-me” accomplice in the matching “uniforms” was the BEST! The last plate of artichokes has me heading to the market. Once again you have done “mood” better than many pros… you can just see Jacob “willing” that boat to go, and the body language you caught is priceless.That is “summer” in a nutshell. Fabulous.
Childhood summer food memory: deep fried artichoke hearts on the Santa Cruz boardwalk, right next to the rickety wooden rollercoaster…
Let me be honest for a moment: fresh artichokes scare me a little. They are big and tough, and look nothing like the kind I’ve eaten. Thus, like many of the commenters above, I have never cooked with them. And just to be clear, I LOVE to experiment with new things in the kitchen.
Deb, I think you’ve given me a sweet glimmer of hope! I am actually going to try this. In fact, I’m heading to the grocery. I’ll confront my long-avoided foes, and frizzle them with confidence! You’ve given me new weapons, and I’m prepared for artichokes big and small, green and purple. I will not be diverted by fibrous fuzz!
Hoorah!
Just made baby artichokes last week. I pulled off the outside leaves leaving the heart attachment intact. When I got to the soft inner leaves I cut straight across and pealed the hard skin off the stem and cut them in half lengthwise. After soaking in lemon water I steamed them with the acidulated water in the bottom of the pot. Then I sautéed them with fresh garlic, salt and pepper until they had color and texture. To. Die. For. Tried to recreate a treat I had from a street vendor in a town near Gragnano Italy, near Solerno. Grilled baby artichokes in olive oil and garlic sold by the paperbagfull. Beyond your imagination.
I recently discovered microwaving artichokes (the big ones, not babies) and it changed my artichoke eating life because they cook in 10 min instead of 40.
Trim them as you would normally and then cut them in half. Put them in a microwave safe vessel with a little water at the bottom and cover tightly. Microwave for 2-5 minutes per artichoke depending on artichoke size / microwave power. They come out more flavorful than boiled (because all the flavor isn’t leached away) and in way less time.
I wonder if you could boil the “discarded” leaves of the big artichoke and eat those the traditional way (dipped in lemon mayo) so as not to waste them?
EB — I know, I thought the same thing, which was that we didn’t grow them here. It turns out we do, but very few (at least Union Square Greenmarket) vendors sell them. See my response to Sarah in Comment #5; I’m pretty sure Mignorelli has them, and I want to say at least one other, but not for a month at least.
Scott — That’s great. I’ll definitely try it out next time.
Sunshine — I bet you could. It felt very sad to waste all of those big leaves!
Eviedish/Brittany/freezer meals — I think we’re all on the same page. I did nothing last time, and I keep thinking I should do better this time because we got so sick of takeout and also I now I have a 5 year-old that needs proper meals, unlike his parents, but I haven’t started a thing. My current freezer isn’t so freezery-smelling, so I could theoretically start soon without things getting a stink on them, but I mean, I’m bad at making dinner most nights as it is, the idea of banking meals too… I’ll try to Pin up a board of good meals to freeze and store to start. Oh, and what do you guys freeze in? I was thinking about picking up some foil pans, but I’d like them on the small side, so I’m really just heating up a meal for 3, not a week’s worth…
Jane M — How is the book? Been thinking about getting it!
This is my absolute favorite way to eat my favorite vegetable! I make artichokes (always the baby kind, every single time I can find them) using basically this same method. I really like them with a handful of bread crumbs and some shredded parmesan on top (before baking them, so the cheese gets nice and crispy). But the best part is the crunchiness of the artichokes.
I freeze meals all the time, and honestly I just use the cheapie Glad/Ziploc plastic containers. They come in lots of sizes so you can put just the right amount in there. I like to make a big batch of meatballs and freeze them in the small-ish containers, enough for one night of meals for the three of us. That way I can easily make pasta to go with it, or meatball sandwiches (our favorite). The Meatball Shop cookbook has a lot of options and they are super easy to make (just bake in the oven for 20-30 mins).
I just ate these on Saturday night at Jaleo, a tapas restaurant in DC, and had a bit of a moment. I had never HEARD of baby artichokes, much less seen them in a market. They were fried up crispy like this with lots of lemon and parsley, with an olive tapenade schmear underneath. They were heavenly. Now, if I ever find these babies, I will know to make them – thank you!
OMG, this is amazing. My wife and I have been obsessed with the Roman Fried Artichokes Alla Giudea at both Trattoria Dell’Arte and Cafe Fiorello for years and have always wondered how we could accomplish the same thing, but without deep frying them in olive oil as I suspect they do. Roasting them is genius! Also, great advice about using the centers of larger ones, though I’ll keep an eye out for baby artichokes!
This would be great with a thick dollop of smoked sesame paste…
As a health-freak wannabe, though……how to you steam artichokes?????
Thanks!!!
More research on local artichokes in NYC Greenmarkets: I’ve read reports from previous years about artichokes appearing (sadly, closer to August than I realized) at Norwich Meadow Farms (both small and large ‘chokes), Muddy River Farm and S&SO Produce Farms. This doesn’t mean for certain that they’ll have them this year, but it’s worth looking. I personally follow the USG and others on Twitter and Instagram, which often lets me know that morning when cool stuff has arrived.
I keep clicking on the site hoping for a photo of an adorable newborn but all I get are artichokes and lemonade. Let’s get to the good stuff!
MR — Come back in 6 weeks? :) (Or sooner. I mean, I basically only want to make desserts with ice cream from now until my due date and it would be a bummer to miss out.)
Deb – I freeze prepared dishes quite often (not because I’m so good at planning ahead, more because I make too much and can’t eat it all!) and I’ve found a few good ways to package. Those foil pans are pretty great – I like the 8×8 size as it’s much more manageable. Just wrap the heck out of them with both plastic wrap and foil then label. For items that can be separated nicely (stuffed baked potatoes, individual squares of lasagna, etc.) I wrap each one well in plastic wrap, then fill a gallon freezer bag with as many pieces as will fit and label the entire bag rather than each piece. I can thaw one for lunch, a few for dinner, whatever I need. And for liquidy items (anything from marinara or pizza sauce to Asian marinades) I freeze them in an ice cube tray first then dump all the cubes in a freezer bag. The only problem is that more surface area + not much wrapping means they don’t last as long without becoming freezer burned, so I don’t keep sauces for as long in the freezer.
One of our favorite dinners is artichokes and grits: http://norecipes.com/artichokes-and-cheesy-grits-recipe. We use frozen artichokes hearts, and cook them far longer than suggested so that they brown and crisp up. Lots of lemon is key; I’ve taken to adding some chopped preserved lemon while they cook.
It’s also how we prep artichokes for on pizza!
This is the one single time in years of foklowing your blog where I’m not dead jealous for ingredients that I won’t find over here, in Rome, the Eternal City, and also the city where every market sells already-cleaned artichokes!
That’s exactly how my Italian Grandma used to make them and they would disappear before they hit the table!
I was thinking of getting foil pans too. Otherwise, Ziploc bags for things like meatballs or whatever can be thrown in a bag. Don’t worry, we are all in the same boat about not making dinner nightly. I was hoping to get some of this knocked out on the weekends. Or, I’ll just be eating a lot of boxed cereal when the baby gets here :)
That looks amazing!
Living a little over an hour from the artichoke capital of the world – Castroville, California – we have access to them in our markets almost year round yet I’ve never tried the baby ones. Putting this on my list NOW! Thanks.
I survived on steamed artichokes and Sauv Blanc in grad school! It’s a Cali thing ;)
how far in advance could i parboil the chokes before grilling?
meg — I’d say quite a while. They’re not going to be a pretty color or anything (gray, mostly) but I think you could par-boil them a day in advance, if not two, and just grill them when needed. More pesky is that they’ll be a little fragile at that point; the leaf parts will want to separate from the heart, so just pack them up gently.
Yes, in Castroville, you can get deep fried artichoke hearts by the bagful with a variety dips, your choice. They come out super hot, but there is nothing like sitting in the parking lot, right near the giant artichoke (did you know Marilyn Monroe was the first artichoke queen?) and finishing off a bag! Thanks, as always for the great recipe.
As a friend in college once said (ok sobbed, long story), “Artichokes are a food and an activity.” Been in love with them ever since. Must be a Cali college thing!
thanks for the quick response, deb. these are most definitely going on my next backyard BBQ menu! now i just have to get the weather to cooperate…
These look delicious and I really like artichokes, but I just don’t feel I can cut/clean them properly. This is the one time I’m too timid to try something! Maybe I’ll see if my husband can do this one because we just got a grill and I would really love to make this on it!
I was a lucky kid; my parents loved artichokes and when I first started noticing them eating them (boiled until soft; leaves and heart eaten with lemony butter), we kids were told, “no, no, this is ADULT food; you wouldn’t like it, because you are so young.” Naturally, all we wanted to do was to show them how grown up we were, so we were determined to show them how much we loved, loved the artichoke. Surprisingly, we really did love eating them. My mom passed away about 6 months ago, and I can’t eat an artichoke without thinking of her. I bet she would have loved the frizzled baby ones!
I had no idea baby artichokes were a thing! All these stories of generous quantities of fried artichokes in Rome make much more sense now.
Interesting that you think of the thorny ends of the leaves as the bottom. I suppose it is the bottom when you’re biting off the edible part, but I think of the thorny ends as the top of the artichoke since that end is up when the flower is on the plant.
The only artichokes I’ve had are in a spinach and artichoke dip or Costco artichokes in a jar. I definitely want to make some roasted artichokes now! They look delicious!
What a delicious idea! I love artichokes but have gotten a little tired of the oil/vinegar combo so looking for something new to try and this looks like a winner to me!
My sister saves all the leaves and boils them to make tea. It is not unpleasant!
Lucky Peach has a great video on making this dish:
http://luckypeach.com/how-to-make-roman-fried-artichokes/?utm_source=Newsletter060215&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Box2
One indelible memory from a trip to Venice (many decades ago) was watching an elderly man take one artichoke after another and swiftly reduce it to the heart with his big knife, which he tossed into a big container of water (must have been acidulated water). At that time I thought he was being incredibly wasteful, because I grew up eating steamed California artichokes (usually just with mayonnaise). I was astonished when I got to college and learned there were people who had no idea how to tackle a whole artichoke.
And Jen (#50) is quite right–the thorny bits are at the TOP of the artichoke, if you consider how they grow.
I grew up in No Cal eating artichokes, Dungeness crab and Its-it’s! Yum, yum! I always cut the tips with scissors,super fast. I now live in MA and have to cook much more seasonally. I saw baby artichokes at Whole Foodsthis week. Will go back and pick-up now that I have a great recipe to try. As for freezing meals, if you are 36 weeks,you might want to stock up soon. Baked ziti and chicken pot pie are great for the freezer!
Everyone said everything I wanted to say in previous comments. But, would it be possible to take Trader Joe’s frozen artichoke heart quarters and roast them following your recipe? I live in the piedmont of North Carolina–we keep trying to grow artichokes but they are biennials and the winter takes them, especially this last winter, and white fly gets them under cover. They are hard to grow!
All the best wishes to your little, growing family! Enjoy every minute because from here on, it goes faster and faster. Artichokes with meat freezes well, lasagna in foil loaf pans, (defrost in ‘frig) is great, and mousakka and paella are favorites at our house for quick freeze and then use for recovering patients.
Love the photography in particular. We don’t seem to be abletoget artichokes that easily in the UK, which is a shame as I love them!
Jacquie — See my response to Isadora in Comment #9. In short: yes, but less successfully.
Re, top/bottom of artichokes — You are all correct and I am not. I always think of them upside down because on my plate, the stem side is up. This was particularly devastating a couple years ago when I asked Alex to start boiling the artichokes before I got home, just trim about 1/2 off the bottom first. I came home to a pot full of loose leaves and uncooked hearts down the trash shoot. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. And I still mix up the top and bottom!
P.S., re Roman artichokes — I was so sad when we went there in 2013 and I did not get to eat All Artichokes, All The Time as I’d intended. It was June, and they come earlier in the spring over there. I’ll just have to go back! Although at 34 weeks, I’m convinced we’re never going to travel anywhere ever again, longsigh/pityparty.
The book was terrific – sadly it made me want to return to Rome – which is not in the cards right now! But Elizabeth writes so well, and at the end of each chapter she lists restaurants, farmer’s markets, just a wealth of ROME EATING information! And with me – I’M ALL ABOUT GLOMMING DOWN THE VITTLES! WHY WHY IS THAT?
That’s what baby artichokes look like? They’re adorable! I’d never even heard of them as something people regularly ate — I’m still wrapping my mind around garlic scapes. (By the way, if you have recipes for those, I’d love to see them.)
Yum! These bring back recent memories of eating fried artichokes in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto. So amazing.
A hint to preparing large artichokes, for any recipe: Cut them in half lengthwise. First trim the base to remove those thorny leaves. Then cut them in half, pop out the choke and finish trimming, as Deb describes, if you wish before cooking. With this method they are easier to handle and you will not need to worry about inadvertently swallowing the choke.
This looks amazing! I love artichokes and this looks perfect for al fresco dining!
Oh my gosh! I live in Greece and it’s definitely artichoke season at all of the markets. Every week I swear that I will buy some and learn how to clean and cook them. I’m SO excited about your gorgeous step by step photos and a recipe that I already am drooling over. This week I’ll be picking up some artichokes!!
I love artichokes. In San Francisco, at Hillstone’s (formerly Houston’s) they always have grilled (after steaming) artichoke halves .. so delicious and irresistible.
http://hillstone.com/menus/hillstone/Hillstone%20San%20Francisco%20Dinner.pdf
Sad they don’t have them on the menu in your two NYC locations.
Thank you! Artichokes are the only thing I have been afraid to cook. I’ve tried them a few times and even though the instructions seem to make sense, once I start prepping the artichokes, I get confused, remove too much, and end up with nothing left at the end. Your pictures clarified a few things for me …enough things that I think I will try again! Thank you very much!
Have you seen this recipe, Deb? It’s great because you can do it all on the stove. The artichokes still get nicely crispy, too. I know you may not be able to cook a recipe with so much wine in it while pregnant, but it’s really good and as a fellow artichoke lover, I highly recommend it for later (I made it without the mint). I am finding organic baby artichokes every week at the farmer’s market in Palo Alto, so I will try yours next Sunday when I get more! I love grilling big artichokes so I’m excited to have a recipe for cooking the baby ones on my grill.
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017431-april-bloomfields-pot-roasted-artichokes-with-white-wine
Rest, Deb. Put lots of sleep in the bank–the little one might make an early appearance. Promise?
I live in Monterey where we can get artichokes nearly year round, although sometimes they can be very expensive. I never knew what to do with the he baby ones. Thanks for this recipe. Next time we visit the artichoke farm, I will buy some and try this. We don’t find them in the stores.
I’ve loved artichokes since I was a child. My mom used to make them for us with Hollandaise sauce and I could never get enough of them. This recipe sounds fabulous! There used to be a restaurant here in Ft. Lauderdale (really, in Plantation, suburb) called “Pebbles.” They had the most delicious fried artichoke dish. It was very lightly breaded and deep fried, I’m sure, but it was like eating candy!
Oh, I would so LOVE to make these–I love artichokes in whatever form I can get them, but you talk of using SO MANY. Here in Roanoke, VA, even overage, wizened artichokes go for a buck or more each, and the good ones are $2-3 each! I wish I were living back in my old SF house, with the avocado tree in the font yard and the artichokes growing in the fields just down the road a piece. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A PLACE IN OR NEAR ROANOKE WHERE DECENT ARTICHOKES ARE SOLD AT A REASONABLE PRICE? i won’t buy them all, I promise, just “enough.”
I love artichokes and I am in the San Francisco bay area so they are plentiful. However, I must admit to being frightened of them. I am trying to prepare this recipe but I do fear that either I have taken off too many of the leaves or not enough. Would you ever consider uploading a video?
This recipe looks amazing. I think this is how I am going to cook all vegetables from now on – not just artichokes. Maybe I could even get my kids on board if things were crispy and yummy!
Now I know that this is heretical, but I have a back problem and I can’t go grocery shopping right now. I have to have things delivered (SAD FACE BIG TIME). Would using canned artichoke hearts, drained for a few hours work? I can GET those. I was also thinking of other spices to add to this. I want to try it so badly!
yes! yes! YES!! i never knew how i felt about artichokes until i discovered these little babies. they’re so, so good.
Love artichokes, made them pan roasted with lots of garlic, lemon and olive oil the other day. But be careful, I ended up with a nasty injury on my hand when one of the little buggers stuck me and left a splinter.
I’ve never made artichokes, and I think I’ve only actually eaten them in spinach & artichoke dip… but I’m convinced! I need to try this recipe :D
(I also love how artichokes look. They have so much character!)
murasaki — I have trouble getting them as crispy, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying in a pinch. Feel better!
Monica — I have and I’m VERY tempted by it (which reminds me that I need to get the book, too). Not terribly worried about cooking with wine… I might do it for more of a dinner party, ’cause it’s so pretty. Glad to hear it’s a hit.
Dalnapen — This child already had decided not to let mama sleep (disco dance parties, every night — what ever happened to slowing down because they run out of room?) so I might as well keep cooking while I can. :)
Anything artichokes for me, is to die for…and fried!?!? Well, say no more! You should trying making a lemon aioli to dip them in, really sends them over the top!
Although from the East coast, we had the traditional Italian American stuffed artichokes whenever avaliable. Now living in the Bay Area, not far from Watsonville or artichoke central, I am incredibly fortunate to have both the baby and large varieties. Your method of preparation is brilliant; the finished product seems to mimic Artichokes Jewish Style without the messy frying. I can’t wait to try it, thanks so much Deb.
This reminds of me when I discovered crispy kale and how it became my new go-to snack. I can’t wait to try this, Deb!!
Fortunately most people have experienced artichokes and love them. The picture of this dish wouldn’t sell the uninitiated. The crisped product isn’t much better looking than the homely artichoke is when steamed. It’s sort of like describing the blind date to the person you want to set up; you always hear that they have a great personality. This is not a reflection of your photography skills, chokes just aren’t very photogenic! Hmmm, that sounds sort of like me!
Hey Deb,
I’ve read and loved your site since before it was even Smitten Kitchen. One of my friends got your cookbook as a wedding present for me, even! (And I love it, obviously.)
I saw your entry about your sadness about Pommes Frites, and I just wanted to make sure you heard!
http://gothamist.com/2015/06/03/pommes_frites_has_found_a_new_home.php
I might have to disagree with Susan (sorry, Susan!). I think the photos of the crispy artichokes are intriguing. I also admire your step-by-step photographs of how to deal with an artichoke. This is a hard process to describe – I know, I try to tell people all the time! But this makes it extremely clear, manageable, and appetising – like all your recipes, really.
Oh I love artichokes! I’ve never been brave enough to try to make them myself, but this looks way too good to pass up. Perhaps I’ll go for it.
Shepard’s pie is a great freezer meal!
Becky — Thanks! My friends and I have been having a ongoing conversation about this, that we’re excited that I was wrong when I was convinced it would never reopen but have zero desire to hang out on MacDougal Street. Still, I’m happy for PF. It’s a great spot for them and I bet they’ll be around for a while now because: fries.
Traditionally I “stuff” my artichokes with a bread crumb/parmesan cheese/garlic and olive oil mix, making sure to put the stuffing inbetween the leaves as well. Then I steam them. No sauces.
No has mentioned my all-time favorite artichoke dish, which I ate in Italy in early May on our honeymoon, 13 years ago: a shaved artichoke and Parmesan salad, with olive oil and lemon. That may have been the best thing I ate on that whole trip (well, that and the frisee salad with meltingly soft gizzards at a Paris cafe, and yes, I’m showing off now), and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. A farmer at the market here said that eating-raw artichokes is a different variety than the baby ones, and I’ve never tried to re-create the recipe. But I bought an artichoke plant a couple of weeks ago! So hopefully I will have at least one homegrown artichoke this summer.
I saw melissa’s produce box collaborating with oxo and sent a whole basket full of purple baby artichokes to few food bloggers.
you can order them tat the website if your craving for artichokes gets too much :)
Best wishes from India
s
Made these tonight and was surprised but they didn’t really work for me. I love artichokes, but the roasting seemed to condense their bitterness. And I missed the tooth-scraping. I’ll stick with steaming them and dunking each leaf in melted butter with lemon…
Deb, what can I do with the leftovers? I got a big box of the baby ones at Wegman’s for $3.99 last Saturday. Sadly, I’m the one in my household of two who will eat green things. More for me, true. But too much for one sitting.
leah — You had leftovers? I think they’d be wonderful with a tossed salad, or maybe even as a fries/home fries alternative, as they’re crispy and salty.
This looks so tasty, I’ve never tried this version before. Definitely giving it a shot as soon as I can lay hands on baby artichokes.
I just wanted to say to everyone who’s expressed concern over the fiddliness of artichoke prep that I eat artichokes at least once a week and I have never 1) peeled any outer leaves, 2) trimmed any pointy leaf-ends, or 3) removed the choke. I just boil them whole, eat everything I possibly can, and pop the choke out when I arrive at it after eating everything else. It’s fine. It’s glorious. It’s easy.
Yum!!! Your pictuers totally remind me of the crispy brussels sprouts at Zaytinya in DC. I’m definitely keeping an eye out for artichokes now, but do you think this will work with brussels sprouts too?
Jenn — Gah, I LOVE Zatinya, never had the sprouts, though. I definitely think this approach would work with brussels. I crispy-roast them all of the time, usually halved (or left whole if they’re marble-sized). No need to par-boil.
Oh it looks so crispy. Sure i will try this recipe with the help of your blog.
Thanks
Amazing!! Baby artichokes were at the brussels market on sunday so i cooked them up. So delicious!! I couldn’t throw away the outer leaves i removed, so while i was cooking i boiled them and snacked while waiting for the oven. Yet another amazing SK recipe!! Oh and for regular artichokes, i recommend a dip of dijon, balsamic and oil.
I make almost everything you post and it’s all done perfectly. You are simply the best and I REALLY enjoy your blog. When my friends hosted my wedding shower 1.5 years ago in Philadelphia, it was Smitten Kitchen themed and they all signed my copy of your first cookbook! You are so much fun and so original!
Can I make these tonight and re-warm and serve tomorrow? I am about to go forward, so I hope so! Any tips for how to reinvigorate them?
I really really love your style of writing :)
I hope someday I’ll find some baby artichokes – never seen them so far.
Denise — If you’re just trying to get prep out of the way, I would probably pause after the parboiling step and roast them right before eating. It’s hard to keep crisp on a vegetable overnight in the fridge and they might be rubbery once rewarmed.
Deb,
I made these last night and while the stem parts were delish and soft, the leaves were so tough it was like trying to chew on a tree. Does this just mean I didn’t par-boil them enough. For the record, mine were the big artichokes.
Thanks!
Stephanie — No, it means you needed to peel more off. You really need to remove a lot of the large ones before you get to the ones that can be eaten whole when boiled and roasted.
This was my first SK flop – definitely user error. Got some baby artichokes at the farmers market – first time working with them – and they turned out pretty tough. Assume I didn’t remove enough outer leaves.
Ok, I’m officially obsessed! I took the major lazy way out amd they were divine! I bought a bag of frozen artichokes from trader joes, let them dethaw on the counter, pressed the excess water out of them with paper towels, tossed them with olive oil and salt and they went into the oven until crispy and delicious!! Can’t wait to make and devour them again!!
Just made this. Deb, you’re correct. The only thing I regret is not buying the farmers market out of baby artichokes
The way you eat big artichokes is EXACTLY how I grew up eating them (though my dad would add some mustard to the sauce.) I remember so many times when I was a kid that dinner was just artichokes and I still do it! And you are totally right, you don’t need anything else. I’ve had baby artichokes many times in Italy but for some reason never think to buy them here. Now I will have to so I can try this recipe! Thanks for sharing the artichoke love! Gorgeous photos, as always.
I’ve never seen baby artichokes round here, so I tried it with the big ones. My first attempt at artichokes, too! So I made the beginner’s mistake of not peeling away enough leaves. Well, I can’t help it, I’m Swabian. German equivalent to Scots ;)
But the stem and “bottom” of the artichokes were very tasty. And they’re full of vitamins and things, so it feels doubly good to eat them.
Will try again!
p.s. thanks for the detailed description of how to prepare the artichokes, that helped.
Found baby chokes today @ mignorelli’s @ the union sq market : )
Patty — Me too! Hooray.
I was so thrilled to find this recipe – I LOVE artichokes. I found baby ones at Wegmans and removed quite a few leaves from each but they still turned out tough except for the stems. I couldn’t really eat the leaves. Did anyone else have this problem? I’m guessing longer boiling is needed?
Hey, I live in Spain where artichokes are cheap and easily available. I am always looking for new recipes as I eventually tire of the simple boil/pull leaves, so I tried this recipe today. I did the roasting method and the result was tasty but completely non crispy. WHat did I do wrong ?
bea — Might they have needed more time in the oven to get more crisp or do you think it might have been something with the artichoke itself?
Deb, would you consider correcting “bottom” to “top” in the actual recipe, in case other folks don’t read all the comments? I think most cooks will realize what you mean, but I have to admit that even for seasoned cooks (like me), it’s pretty confusing as written. just a thought. thanks for this lovely recipe!
I tried this recipe with regular artichokes today. I cut them exactly as described and demonstrated beautifully in the pictures, but after cooking, every part except for the heart was completely inedible. The leaves were too fibrous to eat. I wonder if sticking to baby artichokes might be necessary.
I don’t understand why you parboil them. It’s an extra unnecessary step. All it takes is frying in olive oil one one side for about 10 minutes, and then turning them over and frying on the other side for about 10 minutes. The inside will be fork tender, and the outside will be crispy. Drizzle with lemon and sea salt and you’re done. Or you can drop them into a deep fat fryer, and when they’re blooming and toasty, pull them out. Best served warm. People gobble them up, and even your vegan friends are happy.
You can do the prep 6 or more hours in advance. Which is handy because it’s time consuming. Pull back and discard (or keep if you want to steam them separately) all the green leaves, and trim all green off the base. Even with most baby artichokes, cut in half and check to see that the choke isn’t developed. If it is, carve it out with a knife or sharp spoon. Rub it all over with lemon, and toss the halves into cool lemon water. (You cut a lemon or 2 in half, squeeze the juice into a bowl of water, and drop the cut lemon halves in too.) Leave the container on the counter, or stick it in the fridge. When you’re ready to fry them, pull them out and dry them. They’ll be fine. Overnight is a little long – but doing all the prep in the morning, and frying and serving in the evening works fine.
I should have added – save that artichoke flavored olive oil for next time. You want it about half way up the artichoke sides, so you’ll have leftover. Strain it and save it. It’s good.
They’re parboiled because this isn’t a recipe for fried (much as I love them fried, too); on a grill or in a roasting pan, if they’re not parboiled, they remain unpleasantly rubbery in the center.
I’m very sad panda about this. I should know better than to serve a new dish at a dinner party. My baby artichokes did not emerge brown and crispy. They rather steamed for the whole time with barely a golden brown spot. Sigh. I adore you smitten kitchen. I lost this battle but I will back. P.s. 2 pounds of baby artichokes fed 5 people but came to $11!! Wee bit pricey :(
I’ve made a variation of this – a NYT recipe for Pan-Roasted Baby Artichokes – many times and don’t parboil or use anywhere near the amount of olive oil called for – a 1/2 inch. I use a little more than what coats the bottom of a non-stick pan and am generous with the garlic and parsley. They’re done in less than 15 minutes. And you had better blot them very well since they’ll splatter like crazy! I’m lucky if I can get them to the table before they are gone…..
Thanks for reminding me about April Bloomfield’s recipe. I’ve been wanting to make it for a while — it sounds like she almost carnitas them! However, it’s not fast. It’s about 30 minutes of sauteing and simmering and then another 5 to 10 to cook off the liquid and brown them up. (I suspect more on a non-professional stove.)
What temperature should the oven be for roasting? The recipe doesn’t say. I was thinking 420-450 degrees.
You could try hotter but the recipe calls for 400 degrees.
I’ve made a version of these for years. Trim the thorns off the tops. Break off the green leaves, and cut off any green on the bottoms. No parboil necessary. You can do this ahead and leave them chilled in lemon water until right before you’re ready to serve. Then drain, dry them, and fry them in olive oil, about 10 minutes on a side, until a fork slides into the heart. You can use a deep fryer, or sauté them in a heavy flat pan. They get toasty brown either way. Drain for a few seconds on paper towels, squeeze fresh lemon and coarse salt on them. Guests tend to gather round to grab them still toasty warm. Save the flavored oil – good for re-use, or in salads. Do not toss the leaves you took off. Stick them in a container in the refrig for the next day, then put them in a steamer for about 20 minutes. Easy peasy and not wasted.
Can I make Crispy Frizzled Artichokes with Trader Joe’s frozen artichoke hearts? If so, how would I proceed?
I made these once with frozen artichoke hearts. They’re good, but not as great. It definitely took longer than I’d expected to get any color on them, and it wasn’t as crispy. But they’d be my vote (over canned) in a pinch. Btw, a different appetizer, but I’ve also roasted jarred (in oil and seasoning) artichoke hearts, drain them and toss them with a little extra oil oil, roast until crispy.
I’ll be looking for baby artichokes, but I’m not holding out much hope. One of my favorite ways to prepare artichokes is to trim them up, cut them in half, take out the choke, then microwave. place cut side down in a dish, add a LITTLE bit of water, cover with plastic wrap, and zap for about 4 minutes. Check to see if they’re done, then drizzle the cut halves with vinaigrette. Sometimes I use vinaigrette as the cooking liquid. Pull off leaves, dunk in butter or your favorite sauce. Almost instant gratification.
Where do you find baby artichokes? Indianapolis doesn’t seem to offer them?
I find them once in a while at Trader Joe’s, and I find them locally usually mid-to-late summer at NY Greenmarkets, just ask around.
They just don’t need parboiling. Snap off the green petals and trim off any green around the bottoms. The green is the tough part. I cut off the tops to get rid of the stickers. (Do not throw away the green petals! They are NOT garbage. Stick them in a bag and save them in refrigerator – then just steam them for ~ 15 minutes – and bingo! ready to eat.) If the artichoke bodies are little, they might not have any chokes. I usually cut them in half to be sure and dig any out that have grown. You can throw them in water with a squeezed lemon to hold them for hours before you cook them. When ready to cook, fry them in good olive oil (save the oil after – it’s good) about 10 minutes to a side, or deep fry, or grill or roast – having tossed them in olive oil. It takes about 20 minutes until fork tender and leaves puffed brown. Then pull them out and fling salt and lemon juice on them. Extra good still warm. No one ever lets them get cool – they’re gone way before that. Best with babies, but can also be done with cut up bigger ones.
Can I make with Trader Joe’s frozen artichokes? They are small. Please say yes.
Aw shoot. The same question didn’t show before I posted this. Sorry Deb!
Why are you not showing rating *’s on recipes? And comments?
I think the feature might have gotten turned off in our last server move — can see about putting it back.
Tried this last week because I love artichokes. Meh. Sorry, but I thought this recipe was way too much work for so-so flavor, too oily. I’ll stick to the tried & true pressure cooker method– which is quicker, too.