Baby artichokes sautéed with onions and garlic, served with grated Parmesan cheese. So good!
For years at Trader Joe’s I’ve walked by these packets of baby artichokes unwilling to try them because they just didn’t seem worth the hassle.
I’m happy to report that I was completely wrong!
They actually take less time to prepare than regular artichokes, being prepared in just a few minutes compared to 40 minutes for artichokes.
Although they are called “baby artichokes,” they are not actually immature artichokes, but simply a different variety that matures much smaller than regular artichokes.
Unlike larger artichokes, more parts of these small artichokes are edible. No need to scoop out the choke, you can eat it with the rest of the heart and tender leaves. You can also simmer the discarded leaves in water for an hour to make an artichoke vegetable stock for soup, so there’s no waste.
Artichokes pair well with something acidic like lemon or balsamic vinegar and something creamy like mayonnaise or parmesan cheese.
These sautéed baby artichokes are easy to make and combine flavors that naturally pair well with artichokes. They can be eaten alone or mixed with pasta or risotto, or baked on top of pizza.
Sautéed baby artichokes
ingredients
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2 lb baby artichokes
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4 cups watershared 3 cups and 1 cup
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4 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), divided
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1/2 Cup Extra virgin olive oil
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1 Middle yellow onionchopped
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2 green onions (onions), thinly sliced, including the green ends
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3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
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1 prize herbs of Provence
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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1 prize black pepper
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1/4 to 1/2 Cup fresh grated parmesanor to taste
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2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsleyfor garnish
method
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Prepare the artichokes:
Wash the baby artichokes. Fill a bowl with 3 cups of water and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Cut the stem of each artichoke to 1/4 inch from the base. Pull back and remove the petals until only the top third of the cone tip is pale green. Cut off the light green tips.
Cut off the remaining greens from the artichoke base. Halve or quarter the artichokes depending on their size and place in the bowl of acidified water (to avoid discoloration).
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Steam artichokes:
Drain the artichokes in a colander. In a large pan, bring a cup of water to a boil. Add the artichokes, cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes. Drain well.
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Fry artichokes:
Wipe the pan to remove excess water. Heat on medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the artichokes, onions, garlic and Herbes de Provence. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
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Surcharge:
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and parsley.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 432 | calories |
| 31g | Fat |
| 34g | carbohydrates |
| 11g | protein |
