Did you know that artichokes have two peak seasons? Most people think of artichokes as a spring vegetable, but they do have another peak in the fall. I decided to make use of artichoke season and try something beyond the standard steamed preparation.
Roasted Artichokes
- 2 large globe artichokes
- 3/4 cup pearl onions, peeled and ends removed
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- lemon wedges (for garnish)
- extra virgin olive oil or a few pats of butter (for garnish)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp, heavy knife, slice off the stem and top of each artichoke. Pull off the tough outer leaves. Trim the ends of any remaining leaves using scissors. Slice the artichokes into quarters lengthwise. Use a paring knife or spoon to scoop out the fuzzy “choke”.
- Place the artichokes and onions in a large casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Add a few large pinches of salt and a few good cranks of black pepper. Mix well so that everything is coated.
- Place dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, rotating the artichokes one or twice, until artichokes are browned and pierce easily with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra virgin olive oil or butter and some lemon wedges.
Serves 4
Like apples, artichokes will discolor once cut. You can dip the artichoke in water with some lemon juice added to stop the discoloration. Or you can work fast and be OK with a little bit of browning.
Depending on how much you pruned when you were preparing the artichokes, the outer leaves will probably not be entirely edible. You can pull the leaves off and eat the lighter-colored end by pulling the leaf between your teeth. The inner leaves should all be OK for eating though.
The pearl onions came about when inspiration struck while I was at the grocery store. At the time I wasn’t thinking about how obnoxious it would be to peel that many. While not difficult it is time-consuming. You could achieve a similar taste by using shallots or small onions cut into fourths or eighths, depending on the size.
I think the artichokes would work great as an appetizer or could work as a main course next to a pilaf.
These artichokes are also being shared in Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Mele Cotte.
We’re crazy about artichokes, so we know about the peak times of year! ;-) Although I’ve eaten roasted artichokes out, I haven’t made them myself yet. Thanks for the great (and beautiful) tutorial, Kalinda! :-)
Shirley
This is wonderful! I had no idea they were a spring and fall veggie. What beautiful photos and a scrumptious, healthy recipe! Thank you!
Thanks Shirley! This was my first time attempting to roast them. I was always a bit intimidated by the prep work, but turns out it’s pretty darn easy. The heavy, sharp knife is a must though. My regular chef knife just wasn’t working.
Thank you as well Cate. That’s why I love reading about cooking and food. There’s always more to learn.
Kalinda, these look amazing! I am such a fan of artichokes. Thanks for the how-to pics…perfect addition to WHB. :)
Thanks for doing hosting duties this week Chris.
WOW! I LOVE this post. I’ve always wanted to do something tasty and great with fresh artichokes, but I didn’t know how. Now I do! And the photography alone is enough to sell anyone. Fabulous!
Does “rotate” mean flip or turn horizontally?
I meant flip, but if you know that your oven has hot spots it probably wouldn’t hurt to turn the dish 180 degrees too.