Roasted Artichokes with Herbs De Provence and Garlic Aioli
I’m from California. The Bay Area, to be exact, in a town about 30 minutes from The Artichoke Capital of the World. So, it goes without saying, I grew up eating lots of artichokes, and I loved them! There’s something almost meditative about taking each leaf off and scraping your teeth along the flesh to get each bite of buttery goodness. And then you work your way to the heart, your prize for putting all that work in. And boy, is it worth it!!
The only way I’ve ever known of preparing artichokes was to steam them. And don’t get me wrong, that’s great! But I wanted to try a little something different, to really make the most out of these special flowers. So I roasted them! Well, to be clear, I boiled them and then roasted them smothered in a mixture of oil. garlic, herbs de Provence, and salt. OMG. Holy Moly! These are good. I’ve never really used herbs de Provence before and let me just say that I plan on using a lot more of it. It’s amazing. And a perfect compliment for artichokes. Pair it with a glass of dry rosé, and you’re having a perfect seaside lunch, without even leaving your house.
So, while these are fairly straight forward, there are a few steps. I look at it as part of the entire experience, and really think of making these as a chance to slow down and connect with my food. It’s nice, once in a while!
Here’s a link to my how-to Artichoke video, from start to finish…
Roasted Artichokes with Garlic & Herbs De Provence
4 artichokes
3 Tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp salt
half a lemon (to squeeze over at the end)
With a knife, cut off the end of the artichoke stem, and also cut the very top of the artichoke (about 1/4 inch). Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and boil artichokes for about 12 minutes. Once removed from the water, cut them in half lengthwise. With a small knife trim out the hairy part and the small inner (usually purple) leaves. Combine oil, garlic, herbs, and salt, and distribute over each half choke, massaging the mixture in the cavity and into the leaves. Spread the artichokes onto a sheet pan and put into a pre-heated 425 oven for 20 minutes, flipping half way through. After cooking, squeeze lemon over all of the artichokes and serve! I suggest beginning with the inner leaves and working your way to the outer leaves. Serve with Garlic Aioli, or just plain melted butter.
Garlic Aioli
3 Tbsp mayo (or vegan mayo0
1 tsp dijon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. This is also a perfect dip with fries!
