In my older years I find this prickly on the outside, flower like vegetable baffles people. They have become more of a bistro treat than a home cooked fave, but I’m here to convert you with an easy, fail safe roasted version with a killer sauce to have alongside.
Roasting artichokes is my most recent and actually preferred way to cook these beauties. Halving them makes them easier to share for a crowd or include them as part of a larger spread (rather than a stand alone dish), plus the opportunity to add aromatics and flavour is frankly a bonus I’ll always embrace. But it also stops me sitting them in a covered pan of shallow lemoned water, walking away from the kitchen and promptly forgetting about them, burning the absolute shit out of the bottoms in the process – something I seem to do more often than I care to admit.
So I roast and eat them either straight out the pan or at room temperature the next day, always smothered or dipped into a sauce that I would happily face plant my whole head into. For the sake of today’s recipe it’s a tarragon aioli. I am going to share it as a separate recipe simply because it should never be only reserved for these seasonal artichokes, but also as a perfect side for roast salmon or chicken, asparagus spears, roast potatoes, egg salad, schmearing on sandwiches…..I could keep going…..
Other sides here are your favourite vinaigrette (or mine), salsa verde, creme fraiche dressing, brown butter………
P.S. my serving tip – because I like to remove the choke (hairy inedible bit in the centre), the space between the leaves and the hear offers a perfect receptacle for your dressing. It’s little things like these that bring me so much joy…….must be Spring fever.
I am including the tarragon aioli in the recipe below, but I am also sharing it in it’s basic form and own post here so you can find it easily again and make it in all its variations to us on and alongside anything and everything.
Roasted Artichokes with Tarragon Aioli
4
servings10
minutes45
minutesMy favourite way to prepare and cook this most seasonal and delicious vegetable which also happens to be perfect vehicle for your favourite sauces.
The whole egg immersion blender method aioli is an absolute game changer. No more sweating while whisking and worrying about split yolks and no more wasted egg whites. This method uses the whole egg and comes together in literally 30 seconds, perfectly unctuously smooth every single time. For more details on the aioli, click here.
Ingredients
- For the Roasted Artichokes
2 globe artichokes
1 lemon
1 head of garlic
a selection of herbs – I like a few sprigs each or tarragon, thyme, rosemary and a few bay leaves – any or all of these work a treat
250ml (1 cup) white wine or vermouth (I always keep a bottle of vermouth on hand for such occasions) or water
60-80ml water (depending on the size of your pan and if you need more water)
a generous pinch of Malden salt (about 1.5 tsp)
a sprinkling Aleppo pepper (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
- For the Tarragon Aioli
1 egg
1 tsp (a little squeeze) lemon juice, plus more at the end if it needs it
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove (I like confit garlic obvs)
a good pinch of malden salt
1 tsp honey (if using all olive oil)
250ml (1 cup) olive oil or a half/half mixture of olive oil and garlic oil or sunflower oil and olive oil.
1-2 tbsp chopped tarragon (depending on how much you love it)
Directions
- For the Roasted Artichokes
- Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). You will need a roasting dish or covered oven safe pan to hold the artichoke halves snugly.
- Trim the stems of the artichokes and cut in half through the heart. Remove the chokes (the hairy centres) by scraping them out with a spoon leaving just the leaves and heart in tact. Cut your lemon in half and immediately rub the exposed edges of the artichokes with the lemon to stop them oxidising. If you are scaling this recipe for more people, you might prefer to have a large bowl of cold water ready with a lemon squeezed into it and the lemon halves suspended in the water and drop each half in the water while you prep the rest.
- Lay the artichokes snugly in a roasting tin or oven proof pan of your choice. Have your garlic bulb through the centre exposing the cut cloves, and tick in all the aromatics, including your cut and squeezed lemons all around the artichoke halves. Add the wine or vermouth (if using and a little water, the salt and Aleppo (if using) and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
- space between the chokes and the foil and stops it burning). Roast for 45 minutes or so, or until the leaves pull away easily form the heart and they are no longer hard in the centre. Check after 40 minutes as this will depend on the size of your artichokes.
Either serve immediately or allow to cool to room temperature, with a sauce of choice, but preferably this tarragon aioli. - For the Tarragon Aioli
- In the bottom of the emersion blender cup or in a similar tall jar or jug, crack the egg into the bottom, followed by the dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, honey and salt. Cover with 1/2 the oil and start place the emission blender head at the bottom of the cup and start blitzing, slowly tilting the head until all the oil is emulsified.
- Transfer to a bowl and drizzle in the remaining oil while whisking constantly until the mixture is thick. Check for seasoning, adding a little more salt or lemon as necessary. Stir through the chopped tarragon and allow to sit for a few minutes before dipping in your artichoke leaves, schmearing on sandwiches, or serving alongside any protein or vegetable of choice.
Notes
- 2 artichokes serve 2 as a main or 4 as a starter. Feel free to scale this up for a crowd with as many halves that fit in your roasting dish.
Also, the liquid quantity here will depend on the size of your pan – if there is room around the artichokes you may need a little more liquid to make sure it comes about 1/4 – 1/3 way up the side of the chokes.
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
