Crisped Baby Artichokes With Caper Aioli Recipes

Steps:

• Cut 2 of the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a large bowl filled with cold water; drop squeezed lemon halves into water. Set bowl of lemon water next to your work area. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the top few layers of dark green leaves, exposing the tender yellow leaves below. With a sharp paring knife, pare away the tough, fibrous outer layer around the base of the artichoke, then trim the tip of the artichoke off to flatten the top; you should still have about 2 inches of leaves above each heart. Drop each artichoke into the bowl of lemon water, as it is prepared (otherwise artichokes will darken).
• To cook artichokes, place them on a rack in a pan above simmering water and steam, covered, until a knife slides easily through the base of the artichoke and leaves are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove artichokes and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
• To make the aioli, juice the remaining lemon. In a blender, puree the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the garlic, and a hefty pinch of salt. (If using a food processor, use a whole egg.) With machine running, gradually pour in the extra-virgin olive oil in a very thin, steady stream. Then pour in neutral oil in a thin stream. Do not rush it; if you pour oil too fast, mayonnaise won?t thicken. When all the oil is incorporated, transfer aioli to a serving bowl and season, to taste, with more lemon juice and salt. Serve at once with cooled artichokes. If made ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate aioli and artichokes up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Caper aioli: Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a rimmed baking sheet on a rack in lowest position. Puree yolk, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and capers in a blender until smooth. With motor running, gradually add oil in a steady stream until mixture is thick and creamy. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl; garnish with more capers.
• Artichokes: Squeeze lemon halves into a large bowl of water; add rinds. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove all tough outer leaves. With a serrated knife, cut off top 1/2 inch; with a paring knife, trim and peel stem. Open soft inner leaves with your fingers until artichoke resembles a flower in full bloom. (Transfer to lemon water as you work to prevent discoloration.) Drain artichokes upside down, with leaves spread open on paper towels.
• Toss artichokes with oil. Place upside down on hot baking sheet and roast, stirring once halfway through, until leaves are crisp and hearts are tender, 8 to 13 minutes. Season with flaky salt and serve immediately, with aioli.

Steps:

• Mix the garlic, shallot, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil or cilantro, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Place the steamed artichokes in the mixture and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
• To make the aioli: combine bread crumbs, white wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and egg yolks in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil to make an emulsion. Add white pepper and hot sauce, to taste. Add fresh basil or cilantro and pulse to combine.
• Preheat a grill.
• Remove the artichokes from the marinade and place on char-broiler or barbecue fire with the leaves of the artichoke up. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes depending on fire temperature. Remove from fire and garnish with herb aioli and caviar of choice.

Steps:

• Pare artichoke bases flat, and remove tough outer leaves, leaving pale-green edible ones. Trim tops off. Rub cut surfaces with lemon half. Work quickly; do not soak in water.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil and garlic in saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown artichokes cooking on all sides 2 to 3 minutes. If garlic gets too brown, discard. Stand artichokes on bottoms; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until tender.
• Leave pan with oil on stove; transfer artichokes to paper towel to drain upside down until slightly cool. Spread leaves like a flower (scrape out fuzzy choke with melon baller).
• Season artichokes with salt and pepper; add 3 tablespoons oil to pan; when hot, add enough artichokes to fit comfortably without overlapping, bases facing up. Cook over medium-high heat, pressing leaves down, until brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Keep warm while cooking second batch. Blot well.
• Salt lightly, and serve hot with shaved Parmesan and lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy pot (wide enough to hold the artichokes with room to spare) over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Stand the artichokes cut sides down in the oil, wait a minute, then reduce the heat to medium-low, sprinkle in the garlic and salt, and cook, without stirring, just until the garlic turns golden and smells toasty, about 3 minutes.
• Slowly pour in the wine, cover the pot, and cook, without stirring, at a vigorous simmer until you can insert a sharp knife into the thick artichoke bottoms with barely any resistance, about 25 minutes. Five minutes or so before they're fully tender, remove the lid and scatter on the capers.
• Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook until all the wine has evaporated (the bubbling sound will become a sizzle), about 3 minutes. Add the mint and parsley and keep cooking the artichokes in the oil (it's OK if a few of them tip over), until the cut sides of the artichokes are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to prevent the artichokes from getting too dark.
• Arrange the artichokes prettily on a plate, and scoop the capers, oil, and slightly crispy herbs over top. Serve straightaway or at room temperature.
• Turning Artichokes
• I suppose some people might find it a bother, but I quite like turning artichokes. It's like an advanced version of shelling peas-similarly meditative and even a bit fun. Choosing artichokes whose leaves don't move much when you pinch the tops will make your life a bit easier, because typically they have smaller chokes or sometimes none at all.
• Fill a big bowl with water and squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Working with one artichoke at a time, pluck off and discard the green leaves until only the soft yellowish leaves are left. Cut off about 1/2 inch of the stem. Use a peeler or small knife to trim away the tough green stuff at the base of the artichoke. Take a peek at the cut end of the stem. You'll see a pale green circle surrounded by a darker border. Peel the stem, getting as close as you can to the pale green center. Drop the artichoke into the lemony water (to prevent discoloration). Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
• Cut about 1 inch from the tip of each artichoke, then use a small spoon to scoop out and discard the feathery choke. Gently squeeze each artichoke over the bowl as you go, and set them cut sides down on paper towels to drain for about 5 minutes.