July 23, 2009

Grilled Artichokes

Thought for the day:
"You get as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps."
- Miss Piggy

Granted, it does seem like a lot of prep work for a small amount of enjoyment, but I love artichokes, especially grilled. To eat after cooking, just pull off a petal, place the large, bottom half behind your front teeth, and bite and pull the artichoke out. There really isn't much to it, but it is delicious, especially artichoke hearts.

Most recipes will ask you to remove the "choke" which is the fuzzy looking center. Just use a sharp, serrated knife to cut it out. Trim the tips off the petals (leaves), cut off the stem, slice a bit off the top and you're on your way (whew!)
Place a large pot of salted water on the stove; bring to a boil. After preparing the artichokes, rub the cut leaves with a sliced, fresh lemon. Place the lemon into the salted water, then add the artichokes. Simmer for about 20 minutes (longer if using large artichokes, I'm using one large one for this recipe).
Remove from the water, drain upside down.When cooled, cut each artichoke in half and place in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, sea salt, pepper, and 3 cloves of chopped garlic. Whisk together, and pour over the artichokes. Allow to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Place on a preheated, lightly greased grill, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly charred. Serve with your favorite dip or dressing, some wine and garlic toast-

Slice up a small baguette; rub slices with cut garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings such as red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings and extra garlic salt. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

3 comments:

chow and chatter said...

great blog and pics

Anonymous said...

Thanks! I love artichokes! This made me remember all the times my mom made them.

figtree said...

I dont know why more people dont cook artichokes..they are so easy and delicious..I love your photos!Figtreeapps