My artichokes plants look like trees this Spring. I had to get a step stool in order to cut a few for grilling. The artichoke plants were cut to the ground in January so I am surprised at how tall the plants became. As usual, some of the chokes were full blown and not great to eat, but many were just perfect for eating.
My son picked a few and steamed them for lunch with a dipping sauce of melted garlic butter, but I prefer them grilled with lemon and an aioli.
Grilled Artichokes
4 artichokes
2 lemons, halved
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 gloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
Fill a large glass bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 a lemon into the water. Trim the tops from the the artichokes and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the fibrous choke. Place them in the lemon water to prevent them from turning brown.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the artichoke halves to the boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain.
Squeeze the remaining lemons into a bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the artichokes with the garlic marinade and place them cut side down on a preheated grill. Grill for 5 minutes. Baste again and flip the artichokes over. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes until the tips of the leaves are a bit charred. Serve immediately.
I like to serve the grilled artichokes with an aioli. My favorite is a 2 to 1 ratio of mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise) to dijon mustard. I sometimes add chopped shallots if I have them on hand.
Delicious!
