With the coronavirus pandemic affecting supermarkets, it’s common to find shelves free of everyday staples like onions and potatoes, but totally loaded high with ingredients we never use, like ... artichokes. And they’re coming into season right now.
Artichokes are one of those intimidating vegetables that scare a lot of home cooks and even some professional chefs. They’re bulky, awkward to cut and can feel like a hassle to prepare. But I’m here to tell you just how easy they actually are.
A lot of recipes out there claim to be the easiest, simplest way to cook an artichoke. Those recipes usually involve either an Instant Pot or a steamer basket (which not everyone has) and while those methods work, I find they lack any flavour. So I set out to show you guys it literally can all be done in one dish and prepared in the time it takes to boil a pot of water.
I went with an untraditional preparation method, but the results are incredible. Not to toot my own horn, but as I was devouring them I couldn’t stop thinking about how good they were. To make perfect artichokes every time, all you need is your oven. Yep, that’s right. The key to super simple and delicious artichokes is roasting them. No bulky equipment needed.
The hardest part about this recipe is actually cutting the artichokes. But don’t worry, we’ve got step-by-step photos of how to do that. Once you learn how to do one, the rest go quickly.
After that, all you have to do is make a vibrant herb paste to slather in between all of the leaves. I use a ton of fresh grated garlic, rosemary, thyme and a good-quality olive oil. That’s literally it. Just pop them in a hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes and the work is done. Out come tender leaves bursting with zesty goodness. I like to serve mine with a lemon Dijon mayo, but melted butter also works great.
My favourite thing about artichokes, especially cooking them in this style, is their versatility. It can be a quick snack, an appetiser or the perfect side to go with any dinner.
Easy Herb Roasted Artichokes
Serves 4 (as a side)
Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, grated
Salt and pepper
2 large artichokes
1/3 cup mayo
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest from 1/2 lemon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, thyme, rosemary, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. Cut artichokes:
- Cut stem off bottom of artichoke, then cut about 1/2 inch off the top artichoke.
- Use scissors to trim the ends of leaves so they’re not pointy, then cut the artichoke in half lengthwise.
- Then use spoon to scoop out the fuzzy “choke” in the middle of the artichoke. Rub a lemon half all over the entire surface of each piece to prevent browning. Repeat with other artichoke.
4. Evenly rub herb paste all over artichokes, getting into between each and every leaf. Season with salt and pepper then add cut-side down in roasting pan.
5. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking another 20 to 25 minutes until they are tender and the leaves pull off easily.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and zest. Serve with artichokes.