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Artichoke Gratin

January 30, 2014

Artichoke Gratin | bloggingoverthyme.com

Woh, woh, woh.  How was my last Throwback Thursday post over a month ago?  Where has the time gone?  How is it almost February?  I have a million other questions, but I won’t bother you with the rest of them.

Most of the questions involve time and how I’m always running out of it.  Always and forever.  But that isn’t any fun to talk about, so let’s discuss this artichoke gratin instead.

[I also have to give a quick shout out to Lindsay for creating the new Throwback Thursday picture logo!]

Artichoke Gratin | bloggingoverthyme.com

As you probably may or may not already know, one of the main reasons I started the Throwback Thursday series back in August was to give myself a reason to get in the kitchen, get out of my comfort zone, cook and learn how to make dishes that I probably would never have dreamed up on my own–or simply, have gotten neglected over the years.

Nothing is more fun than taking a step back in time–and cooking dishes that were the “hottest new thing” back in the day.  Butter, gelatin, and casseroles ruled the world.

Artichoke Gratin | bloggingoverthyme.com

But if I’m being completely honest, I’ve sort of neglected my initial goal somewhere along the way.  More than once, I’ve chosen a dish that I’m more familiar with, or one that simply sounded really delicious at the time (my taste buds and food cravings wear the pants around here).

With that said, today’s recipe is definitely a change of pace.  Artichokes are natural beauties.  And, unfortunately, they don’t get nearly enough attention in my kitchen.

Artichoke Gratin | bloggingoverthyme.com

It’s rare that I’ll go out of my way and buy fresh artichokes.  Especially if it involves trimming them down to the hearts.  But oh my goodness, it is so, so worth the hassle every now and then.

I’m going to be completely honest.  Trimming artichokes is a little finicky and takes some practice.  But once you get the hang of it, the process goes fairly quickly.  It’s a life skill worth having, trust me.  

Artichoke Gratin | bloggingoverthyme.com

There are several different ways to trim artichoke hearts (depending on preference or preparation), but here are my recommendations:

  • Set out a bowl of cold water (infused with the juice of one lemon) and one lemon half. As you are trimming the artichoke, rub the hearts with the lemon half–as they will oxidize and brown quickly once exposed to air.
  • Remove the outer, tough leaves with your hands, until you reach the tender, paler softer leaves close to the center.
  • Using a sharp pairing or serrated knife, cut off the top third of the artichoke and trim and peel the stem (leaving about an inch attached to the heart).
  • Trim any other tough green sides from the base of the heart.  Using a spoon or melon-baller, remove the hairy choke and inner thorny leaves.  Remove the fuzzy layer immediately below this as well (it will brown very quickly).  Place the hearts in lemon water, until ready to use.

Artichoke Gratin | bloggingoverthyme.com

Once the artichoke hearts have been trimmed, you simply sauté them in olive oil (infused with fresh garlic) over the stove, before sprinkling on capers, parsley, salt, pepper, and fresh breadcrumbs.  This all goes into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the artichoke hearts and breadcrumbs are golden brown.  And just a little bit crispy.

Grab a fork.  You’re going to want to eat them straight out of the pan.  So good, guys.

Artichoke Gratin

Artichoke Gratin

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 large artichokes, trimmed into bottoms (chokes discarded)
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 1 tablespoons finely chopped freshly parsley (plus garnish)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
  • 2-3 lemons

Instructions

  1. Trim the Artichokes: Set out a bowl of cold water (infused with the juice of one lemon) and one lemon half. As you are trimming the artichoke, rub the hearts with the lemon half–as they will oxidize and brown quickly once exposed to air.
  2. Remove the outer, tough leaves with your hands, until you reach the tender, paler softer leaves close to the center.
  3. Using a sharp pairing or serrated knife, cut off the top third of the artichoke and trim and peel the stem (leaving about an inch attached to the heart).
  4. Trim any other tough green sides from the base of the heart.  Using a spoon or melon-baller, remove the hairy choke and inner thorny leaves.  Remove the fuzzy layer immediately below this as well (it will brown very quickly).  Place the hearts in lemon water, until ready to use.
  5. Prepare Gratin: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain the artichoke hearts and dry thoroughly.  Cut each heart into six pieces.
  6. In a large skillet, heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat.  Cook the garlic, stirring frequently, until golden brown.  Discard the cloves.
  7. Add the artichoke hearts and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until nearly fork-tender.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the artichokes from the oil and place in a small oven-proof dish (or smaller oven-proof sauté pan).
  8. Add the capers and parsley to the artichoke hearts and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cooking oil.
  9. Sprinkle artichokes with breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and slightly crunchy. Serve hot with lemon wedges.  Garnish with additional chopped parsley.

Notes

Adapted heavily from the February 1985 issue of Gourmet magazine.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 12gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
A Beautiful Plate provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
© Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Cuisine American / Category: Vegetable Side Dishes

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Posted in: All Recipes, Diet, Healthy and Light, Sides, Vegan, Vegetable Side Dishes, Vegetarian
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