Castroville Artichoke Sandwich Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. (The artichokes can also be done in a grill pan.)
• Using a heavy-duty pair of kitchen shears, cut the pointy tips off the leaves of the artichokes. Put the artichokes in a large pot and add cold water to cover. Add the white wine, lemons, garlic, thyme and 3 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 30 minutes or until a paring knife easily pierces the heart. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, make the remoulade sauce. In a food processor or by hand with a whisk, mix together the yolks and mustard. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped herbs and, if desired, Pernod to taste.
• Peel off the outer leaves and halve the artichokes. Using a spoon, scrape the choke from the center of the heart.
• Grill the artichokes, turning once, until heated through and lightly charred on the outside, about 4 minutes. The artichokes can also be served chilled, without grilling. Serve with the remoulade.

Steps:

• To make the cabbage slaw, combine the purple cabbage with 1 tablespoon of the jalapeño ranch and all the lime juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the fried artichokes.
• To make the fried artichokes, in a deep fryer or in a large heavy- bottom pot with a thermometer attached heat the fryer oil to 360°F. If using a pot, it should be around a third full of oil. Set aside a large baking sheet with a wire rack on top to place the fried artichokes on. Do not rest them on paper towels as they will become soggy.
• Drain the artichoke hearts from the can or jar and cut them in half if they're whole. Gently squeeze out any excess water from the artichoke pieces by patting between paper towels or with a clean tea towel so that the artichokes aren't super wet.
• To a large mixing bowl, add ½ cup of the gluten-free flour. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup of the flour, the cornstarch, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne.
• Once the oil is to temperature, add 1 cup of the club soda to the flour mixture to start and gently whisk until combined. Add more club soda as needed to ensure the batter is loose enough to dip and dredge the artichokes but thick enough that it sticks and doesn't run right off too much. (The amount of liquid varies, as I find gluten-free flours to have varying hydration levels.) Use one hand to coat 4 or 5 artichoke halves in the flour dredge and then coat one piece at a time in the liquid batter. Lift each piece from the batter and let the excess drip off. Quickly place the battered artichokes directly in the hot oil and fry the first batch for 4 to 6 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
• Use a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs to place the artichokes onto the wire rack, and continue frying in batches.
• To make the sandwiches, lightly toast the buns. Spread the remain- ing jalapeño ranch on the inside of the top and bottom buns. Add the purple cabbage slaw to the bottom bun and top with pickles, 4 or 5 fried artichoke pieces, and the top bun.

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic. Set aside. 2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the oregano, salt, and pepper. One at a time, dip the artichoke hearts in the flour, then the eggs, then back into the flour. Place on the waxed paper. 3. Place a large wire cake rack over a jelly roll pan. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. Deep-fry the artichoke hearts until golden, about 3 minutes. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to the wire rack to drain briefly. 4. Split the rolls and pull some of the soft crumb from each roll to form a trench to hold the artichokes. Spread each roll with mayonnaise. Place equal amounts of the artichokes in each roll and serve immediately.