As a long-time admirer of fresh artichokes, I was slow to learn how to prepare them. I thought they were too much trouble, not worth the effort. I mean, why deal with them if I can go to the store and get a can, a jar or a frozen bag of hearts. Although they have their advantages, have you seen the ingredients in the jarred, preserved variety?
I no longer buy them.
And after seeing the conventional monoculture artichoke crops in California on our trip there last Fall, I knew I had to do a better job of supporting organic artichoke agriculture.
California artichoke peak season is from March – May with a smaller crop producing in October. Our local artichokes make a nice showing at the farmers market in the Fall, but I could hardly contain myself when I saw these organic beauties the grocery store.
A few years ago, I tried my first Roasted Artichoke with Curried Aioli at a favorite farm-to-table restaurant, Adrift, in Anacortes. I’ve written before about this inspired restaurant and their Caesar salad here. The bar faces the kitchen, our most favorite place to sit, where chefs work their magic.
They prepare their artichokes on a griddle, cut in half, cut side up, then flipped, cut side down, with a bit of water added and lidded for a steaming effect. Served with curried aioli, it’s sublime.
They don’t trim the prickly leaves either. One less thing.
From the moment I was able to find fresh artichokes, I got to work learning about artichokes and how to prepare them. I left the prickly tips on and found trimming and slicing the end of the artichoke off was a step I could skip too because the leaves soften during the cooking process.
Just be careful when preparing them for the oven and don’t prick yourself.
I tried several ways to prepare artichokes, as there’re many. First I tried stovetop: roasting in a skillet and steaming. Then I tried oven-roasting: on a sheet-pan, then a skillet. I found skillet-roasting in the oven to be my favorite method. The skillet yields a bit of a smoky flavor and a nice char to the edges of the leaves.
I also found the choke, the center purply-prickly-hairy part, is much easier to remove after the artichoke is cooked. With a bit of nudging, it slips right out, as opposed to trying to remove it before roasting. I’ve tried it and it’s a pain. I often cut way more than needed, wasting too much of the good stuff.
Once the choke is removed, the artichoke is ready to serve with a squeeze of lemon and a quick aioli for dipping.
Roasted artichoke is slow food at its finest. Each leaf is picked, lightly dipped, then eaten by scraping the fleshy goodness off the bottom end of the leaf with your teeth. Once all the leaves have been picked over, the heart is ready to be enjoyed. It’s at the base of the artichoke. The effort to get there pays off.
A leisurely glass of wine and in good company makes the experience even better.
There’s a debate regarding cooking acidic foods in a cast iron pan out of concern for the pan imparting a metallic flavor to the food and/or damaging the finish. I’ve not experienced either. But if you’re concerned, an enameled skillet or dutch oven would work here as well.
Oh, be sure to discard the leaves in the compost or trash. The disposal won’t work. Trust me.
Guys, Earth Day is April 22. Follow along with #EarthMonth for tips and inspiration about how we can be better stewards of our planet. Every little bit matters. This short, four-minute video is one example why.
xo
Roasted Artichokes with Curried Aioli
Ingredients
For the Artichokes:
- 2 Large Whole Artichokes
- 1 1/2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Lemons
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
For the Quick Aioli:
- 3 Tbs Vegan Mayonnaise like Just Mayo
- 1 Clove Large of Garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp Curry Powder or Hot Madras Curry Powder
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
For the Artichokes:
- Place a well seasoned cast iron skillet on the center rack and turn oven on to preheat at 425F (218C). If your skillet is not well seasoned, use a dutch oven or oven proof skillet that has a lid (see notes). Meanwhile, wash the outside of the artichoke, gently nudging the leaves open a bit to wash out any loose dirt. Pat dry.
- Remove leaves at the base of the stem until a bit of white is showing at the base of the artichoke. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough outer layer of the stem, starting at the base to about 1" down the stem. Cut the stem with a serrated knife to about 1". Rub with a lemon to prevent oxidation. If the leaves are particularly prickly, trim the tips of the leaves, but I find, most of the time, this is an unnecessary step. So forge ahead without if you wish. Use a serrated knife to slice the artichoke in 1/2, from stem to tip. Take 1/2 a lemon and squeeze, generously, lemon juice all over the exposed areas of the artichoke. Using a pastry brush, bush olive oil all over the artichokes, both on the exposed inside and outside, getting into the cracks and crevices.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and place the artichokes cut side up on the skillet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Place a few slices of lemon in the pan and place the pan back in the oven to roast. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes of roasting, pull the pan from the oven. Using a pair of tongs, turn the artichokes over, face down and pour 3 Tbs of water into the pan. It will steam and sputter, so be careful here. Quickly cover the pan with a lid and place the pan back in the oven for 25 minutes. Test to see if artichokes are done by forking the base of the choke for tenderness. If needed, give the artichokes 5-10 more minutes, covered, adding a few more Tbs of water for steam. The time can vary depending on the size of the artichoke.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove the choke (the fuzzy purple part) of the artichoke using a spoon. Scoop from the bottom of the choke and out, removing the purple leaves and the fuzzy hairy parts. Be sure not to scrape the bottom of the artichoke, because this is the sublime part, the heart, to enjoy after the leaves have been picked through.
- Sprinkle again with a bit of salt, and fresh ground pepper. Serve with wedges of lemon warm or at room temperature.
For the Quick Aioli:
- In a small bowl combine the mayo, garlic, curry powder, sea salt and lemon juice. Whisk together until smooth. Store for up to one week in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Recipe Notes
1. There are conflicting reports on whether to use cast iron for cooking when acidic ingredients are involved (citrus, tomatoes, ect.) for concern of damaging the finish or imparting a metallic taste to the food. I've not had an issue with either, although I checked with Lodge for my skillet and they advised using only a well seasoned skillet when cooking with acidic ingredients. If in doubt, use a dutch oven or oven proof enameled skillet.2. Do not put the discarded artichoke leaves down the disposal. Preferably, compost them or put them in the trash.
You know how I feel about artichoke + aioli (hello, fellow kitty lover!). These look like they’re cooked to perfection! (Also – come back to Cali again!!)
Your fur babies.. awwhhh yes. I still have that image in my mind with your husband carrying them in the baby sling! I LOL – and then those two in your Christmas tree! :D They are little fur treasures!
I’m in such a habit of snipping off those prickly points that’s it’s never even occurred to me that it’s unnecessary! Thanks for the tip. It looks so much pretty as is anyhow. I’ve only tried steaming before so I’m super motivated to try skillet-roasted. I bet it’s so much better- yours look totally fabulous.
I know, right? One day I just wondered if it was worth the extra effort… so I let it go. I hope you enjoy roasting up those artichokes, Emily! :D
Yum! I have a few artichokes bouncing around in the fridge right now. I think I’ll make this for dinner tonight!
Woot Woot! I hope you enjoyed it Kate! :D
My husband would go crazy for these! He is an artichoke FIEND.. That’s one thing I usually let him prepare because he loves to make them but I don’t think he’s ever tried skillet-roasting them. That smoky flavor sounds amazing! I’ll definitely pass this along to him. Thanks for sharing, Traci! <3
Hehe! That’s too sweet that he is an artichoke FIEND! LOL Since he is quite the connoisseur, I hope he’ll enjoy this method of preparing them! :D
Traci, what a lovely detailed post. We love artichoke and I remember the first time I made them, it was such a daunting task. I wish I had someone give me tips exactly like you do here. It is a bit of work, so so worth it. Love your curried aioli , so so yum. I’ve tried both ways of cleaning the choke and I agree, cleaning them after cooking is so so much more easier.
Love pictures sweetheart. Pinned for sure.
xoxo
How gorgeous in every way! The colour on your roasted artichoke is positively seductive Traci and that aioli… yes, the individual dip of each leaf, a meditation in itself :p so much pleasure. Thank you for breaking down your experience and methods. I can’t wait to hit our local market this weekend. So much beauty all around us.
Wow Traci, these look delicious and that curried aioli sounds right up my alley! I haven’t made artichokes in quite a while, so I’m putting this recipe on my list! Have a great weekend!
Hooray! Hope you two enjoy your artichoke over wine and good conversation! xo
I am totally into this method. One of my roommates in college used to steam artichokes all the time and then dip them in red wine vinegar – I never really got into that. Haha. But, I do love artichokes and this way sounds so, so tasty!! Hello, curried aioli!
Red Wine Vinegar? I’ve not tried it… I’ll stick with the aioli… and that garlic! HELLO!
I have to admit – I don’t cook with artichokes very often although I love the taste of them. I’m so curious about pairing roasted artichokes with a curried aioli! Sounds amazing…thanks for sharing such an interesting and delicious recipe!
Me too, Krys… it’s because fresh artichokes have such a short season. But the effort is worth the enjoyment! :D
Love this post Traci! I too was daunted by the prospect of preparing and cooking artichokes. It requires a little work but it is such a satisfying process. I love the idea of the curried aioli. And what a lovely tip to remove the choke after cooking, I didn’t know that!
Pinned my friend! <3
THank you Rakhee! You nailed it… satisfying. It is.. and then eating it too. The whole process! Bring on the wine with it! And throw out that choke! Thank you for pinning sweets! :D
Wonderful post… I’m not nearly as intimidated to try to prepare artichokes now! My parents steamed them and served them with melted butter when I was a child… I love the curried aioli!
Hooray, MB! I hope you find one soon and whip it into shape! Another reader mentioned butter.. and I can only imagine the deliciousness!
Artichokes are such a fascinating vegetable! I’ve actually never cooked with them – I think just never knowing quite what to do with the knobbly green things sitting in the supermarket aisle or farmers market. I might just have to give them a chance now though – they look amazing all slow roasted. x
I hear you, Claudia! I was intimidated for the longest time.. but I decided, no more! I just went for it! Any which way you prepare them.. they’re quite a special veggie! :D
I’ve actually never cooked with artichokes before, sure I use them pickled in salads but never made them myself! Definitely inspired to make this recipe Traci – love how healthy and delicious it is.
It’s time to find an artichoke, Thalia, and roast it up! :D You’re going to love this!
I have NEVER made artichokes- only occasionally had them on pizza. And when I have had them, I’ve loved them, so I clearly need to be making them more often- especially roasted like this. So pretty! :) I also love your thoughts on sustainability and organic eating- I’ve been thinking a lot about waste and sustainability myself when it comes to food!
You’d love these Medha! Really, they’re easy once you get the hang of it. Artichokes on pizza is so fabulous! Happy to hear your thinking about sustainability.. such an important issue. :D
Never been a fan of the artichoke myself. On occasion I have the marinated hearts and in dips and salads, but Dave is the true artichoke lover in this house. Steamed, cooked/cold, pan seared or roasted, he loves ’em. I think I might have to make this for him. Love the curry aioli sauce. I could use that on so many things. Thanks Traci!
Oh Kevin, then Dave would love this! Especially that curried aioli. We had it on sandwiches too and it was over the top! :D
I remember the first time I had artichokes with aioli at a restaurant and it was divine. I think the artichoke was steamed rather than roasted but I bet roasting gives the artichoke another flavor dimension. My friends mother always made artichokes stuffed with bread crumbs and herbs (between the leaves) and roasted in the oven – so good. I’m looking forward to trying this, Traci – because this is the way I love to eat – simply prepared vegetables that let their unique flavor shine through (and the curried aioli doesn’t hurt either!)
Steamed is great too… I’m just partial to those toasty, smoky edges. I’ve made these stuffed with a gremolata before and I love it too.. but just found the unfussyness of roasting to be a quicker way to enjoy them. Although.. I’ll take a stuffed artichoke any day! You’re going to love these Geraldine! :D
Yum! This is hands down my favorite way to eat artichokes! I use to get them at the Enterprise Fish Co. in Santa Monica all the time but they didn’t have a curried aioli. I would love to try this! And yes to organic! It’s the only way to go and way more flavorful!
Me too Stephanie! Worth the effort for sure. You’ll love that curried aioli! :D
I like artichokes, but never cook them! So glad you posted this Traci! Love the flavors, can’t wait to try it! Love the aioli, perfect for roasted veggies!
You’re going to love this, Mira! xo
Fresh artichokes are SO beautiful (<- at least I think they are) and they taste fabulous when roasted, but I've never tried skillet roasting them, Traci! GENIUS!!! I absolutely NEED to try this immediately! That curried aioli sounds like the perfect creamy dip to accompany such a delicious vegetable! I could eat just this for dinner! Cheers, friend!
And dinner it was, with a glass of wine! I think they’re beautiful too, Chey. That dip… I HEAR you! So good! xo
I have been the jar kind of person. even though I have always wanted to cook with fresh artichoke my first time was such a disaster that I kind of find it intimidating, mostly because of that fuzzy interior. I have been motivated by your post to try it your way- that curried aioli does sound great. Thanks for sharing Traci.
I hear you Shumaila! And I’ve been there.. even ate the choke once.. don’t do that! But finally decided it was time I properly learned how to handle them. I hope you enjoy the recipe! :D
Is there any other spice I can use instead of Curry?
Hello Richard! Whatever you like… how about smoky paprika, cumin, chili powder.. some dry mustard or nothing at all. The aioli is fabulous without added seasoning! Whatever suits your taste.. try it out! :D
Thanks for experimenting with artichokes and posting your recipe. I am going to try this out as I have not had lots of success with my standard way of boiling them.
I’ve tried steaming them and like it enough.. but roasting in a skillet really did it for me. I hope you enjoy it! :D
Such a lovely post Traci! And that Aioli sounds divine!!
Heeey Michelle! Thank you my dear.. you’d love this! xo