I don’t think you can call yourself a Bay Area resident if you don’t know how to eat an artichoke, it’s sort of a right of passage around these parts. My Dad, who grew up on a farm in Ohio, said he didn’t know how to eat an artichoke when he first arrived in California to attend Stanford as a grad student. He had never had a fresh one before! My Mom had to show him how it was done. And then I came along. Hmmm, maybe Catherine de Medici was right, maybe they really are an aphrodisiac?
This is my Mom’s recipe for grilled artichokes. I actually never knew there was anchovy in it as a kid. It wasn’t until she passed away a few years ago, and I inherited her enormous collection of recipes, that I found this one typed on a piece of paper in her giant folder. She didn’t add the mint, that’s my addition. And she always barbecued everything over charcoal, which I should do more often.
Yes, there a quite a few steps to this recipe. But none of them are hard and I think the end result is worth it. My husband doesn’t quite understand the fascination with artichokes as he thinks they are a lot of work to cook and eat. We strongly disagree on this matter, as I think they are every bit worth every bite. I still don’t see him complaining when I cook them…
My artichokes are still poppin’ and I’ve had repeat crops this year! I guess October is the new March in California. I normally leave a bunch of chokes on the plant because the purple thistle is so spectacular when it blooms (is it called a bloom? I don’t know) but this year my chokes were so tasty and surprisingly bug free so I had to harvest.
If I had to choose two foods that say ‘Bay Area’, it would be Dungeness crab and Globe artichokes. Whenever I’ve lived far away from home, these are the two things I crave above all others…
Ingredients
- For Artichokes:
- 4 Globe Artichokes, about the same size
- 3 Meyer Lemons (or regular)
- For the Olive Oil-Garlic Marinade:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced and crushed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Meyer lemons juiced
- For Remoulade:
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or homemade aioli
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used 1 T country dijon and 1T regular Dijon for the grainy look)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (Meyer lemon preferred)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (any more and it changes the color of the sauce)
- 1 large garlic clove minced and mashed
- 3-4 anchovies minced and mashed
- A few dashes of Tabasco
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
For the Grilled Artichokes: Use a large serrated knife and cut off the top third of each artichoke. Rip off (with your hands) the bottom leaves of the choke and any that look damaged. If desired, you can trim the little thistles off of each leaf with cooking shears, but cutting off the top third should take care of most of them. Trim the stem to about 1-inch – it is edible so you can keep more of it if it's in good shape but the choke won't sit upright in the steaming pot. If you do keep more of the stem, it's a good idea to use a vegetable peeler and peel off the outer layer so it's not too woody.
Put artichokes in a large pot with a lid that fits. Fill with 3 inches of water. Squeeze juice of two lemons over top for flavor and to prevent discoloration. Turn on pot to high heat until it starts to boil then turn down to medium heat. Steam for 30 minutes. Keep a watch on the water in case it all steams away. To check for doneness pierce the bottom portion (the heart) with a sharp knife, it should slide in like butter.
Allow artichokes to cool slightly in the pot. Remove to a cutting board. Cut in half with a large serrated knife. Using a pairing knife cut out the fuzzy choke which is the little triangle part at the bottom of the leaves and above the heart.
Mix the olive oil with the crushed garlic, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Brush the olive oil mixture over the artichokes and grill over medium high heat. The artichokes should already be cooked, so the grill is just to add more flavor. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side.
Plate artichokes with the inner side up and spoon remoulade filling into the empty center and all around. Dot with fresh mint leaves. I use a special Mojito mint that really adds a punch.
For Remoulade: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal preference.
Wow! You still have artichokes available and better still, within ambling distance from the kitchen.
I haven’t seen any at the market so I’m guessing availability for fresh is done for 2018.
The remoulade however, looks like something I can eat with a spoon while waiting for next year’s artichoke crop.