With November marking the final month of the Globe Artichoke’s seasonality, I thought it only right to celebrate this mysterious yet fantastic vegetable with one of my favorite, yet perfectly simple recipes.
It was a surprise to me to learn that the Globe Artichoke, considered to be the ‘true’ artichoke, is in fact in now way related to the tuber-like Jerusalem artichoke. Where the globe artichoke is a prominent member of the thistle family, the Jerusalem Artichoke is part of the daisy family!
A dynamic vegetable with many uses; from pizza toppings, to being a worthy accompaniment to potato mash and even the perfect ingredient for a wonderfully creamy and warming soup. However, with a distinct hark back to summer, I’ve opted to share my recipe for whole baked artichokes with a lemon butter and capers, accompanied by a garlic paprika dip and aioli. I hope this serves as a sufficient adieu to these salient guardians and brings back memories of summer BBQs.
Perfect for 4 as a starter, or as nibbles for a larger group (8-12)
INGREDIENTS
2 Artichokes
2 Lemons
4 Garlic cloves – crushed and chopped very finely
4 Sprigs of rosemary
125g butter
Capers – about half a jar
A drizzle of olive oil
Sea or Kosher salt
Pepper
For the Dips
DIP 1: Garlic Paprika Butter Dip
125g butter – softened
3 Cloves of garlic
2 Generous tsp paprika
A Drizzle of olive oil
Sea or Kosher salt
Pepper
DIP 2: Aioli
2 Large egg yolks
2 Large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 Large pinch of salt
300ml Olive oil
1tbsp lemon juice
METHOD
For the Artichokes
Preheat oven to 185C – or light the BBQ
Start by cutting the artichokes in half. Next, prepare the lemon garlic butter – 175g of butter, 4 garlic cloves and 1bsp of lemon juice combined.
Place artichokes, stem-side down and slightly separate the artichoke leaves with your hands before brushing the artichoke halves generously with the butter mix. Drizzle each artichoke with olive oil and season each artichoke generously with salt before you tightly wrap each individual artichoke half with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place half a handful of capers, a slice of lemon and a sprig of Rosemary into each parcel.
Place in baking dish and bake in the preheated oven until sizzling and leaves easily come free, about 45 minutes in the oven or up to about an hour on a closed BBQ – depending how hot it is.
DIP 1: Garlic Paprika Butter Dip
To softened butter, add the garlic – finely sliced. Bash this mixture around in a pestle and mortar to ensure the butter is properly infused or mix together with a teaspoon.
Then add the paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
To finish add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon
DIP 2: Aioli
Place the egg yolks in a bowl with crushed garlic and salt. and whisk together using a balloon whisk. Once combined, gradually whisk in the oil, just 2-3 drops at a time to begin with, until the mixture starts to thicken and emulsify.
Once this happens you can add the oil in a thin stream, whisking all the time, until nearly all of it has been incorporated. Next add in the lemon juice, then gradually whisk in the rest of the oil until you have a smooth and thick mayonnaise. Taste and season with a little more salt, if necessary.
You can cover and store this in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serve on a wooden board with the two dips accompanying the artichoke half’s – to eat, simply pull off the leaves, and dip their bottoms in your preferred dips.
A little Tasty 