Grilled Artichokes

Grilled Artichokes are a wonderful addition to any antipasto tray, along side some olives and salami, my Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs or Greek Cheese Puffs. They’re also nice as side item with a dinner entrée. I like my artichokes seasoned lightly with lemon juice, olive oil and fresh basil and mint.

You’ll need to trim the artichokes and place them in acidulated water (water with lemon juice in it) to keep them from turning brown. Artichokes are part of the thistle family so you’ll have to make sure to remove the thistle (the furry part) and any outer leaves that are tough. It really isn’t hard, but takes a little work.

How to trim an artichoke

I use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the tip of the artichoke (about 1 or 2 inches). Then I pull off the tough outer leaves. I use a small paring knife to trim around the artichoke heart and the stem. The stem has the same prized texture and flavor of the heart. Next, I cut the artichokes in half using the chef’s knife. Lastly, I pull out the inner leaves and remove the furry chokes using a small spoon.

Fresh or frozen artichokes

You can use frozen artichokes quarters instead of fresh ones if you prefer. You’ll just need to defrost them and get them as dry as possible before you grill them. Getting a good char on the grill will be difficult, but they will still be tasty.

Grilled artichokes have an enhanced flavor

I like the flavor that the grills adds to the artichokes as well as the freshness of the lemon, fresh basil and mint. Artichokes are best cooked in a flavorful liquid first and then grilled. If you only grill them, they will take a long time to cook and typically end up burned before they are tender. This recipe will give you a perfectly tender grilled artichoke.

Grilled Artichokes

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Recipe by Margaret Sanfelippo Course: AppetizersCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Grilled artichokes are delicious with fresh mint and basil and a light dressing of lemon juice and olive oil.

Ingredients

• 4 4 artichokes

• 1 1 lemon, juiced

• 1 liter 1 water

• 1 tbsp 1 olive oil

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 salt

• Poaching Liquid

• 1 liter 1 water

• 1 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 sprigs 2 mint

• 2 sprigs 2 basil

• 1 clove 1 garlic

• 5 5 whole peppercorns

• Dressing

• 1 tbsp 1 olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp 1/2 lemon juice

• 2 tsp 2 mint

• 2 tsp 2 basil

Directions

• Trim the artichokes and put in to a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon and a liter of water.
• Combine the poaching liquid ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then add the artichokes. Simmer until tender, about 10. A fork should be able to pierce the artichoke bottom. Drain.
• Heat a grill pan up on high heat. Coat the artichokes with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Add the artichokes to the grill pan. Cook for about 1 or 2 on each side, just to get a few grill marks.
• Finely chop the mint and basil. Combine 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice in a small bowl, and drizzle over the artichokes. Sprinkle the artichokes with the mint and basil.

Notes

• You can use frozen artichokes quarters instead of fresh. You’ll just need to defrost them and get them as dry as possible before you grill them. Getting a good char on the grill will be difficult, but they will still be tasty.