globe artichoke recipes
Here's a collection of globe artichoke recipes from our weekly newsletters, and some lovely ones you've sent in. If you'd like more please have a look at our recipe index!
Preparing and Cooking Globe Artichokes
Crab Salad Stuffed Artichokes
Baked Artichokes with Breadcrumbs and Parmesan
print page
Artichokes make a starter for a few, or a light, fun meal for one. They're complicated to eat, but absolutely worth the effort, especially as we only have them for such a short time each year.
The best way to acquaint oneself to these delicious plants is simply to experiment one day with a good friend and a glass of wine. Il Spareto from Pietro Majnoni would be perfect; it has a soft palate and very gentle oak and herby characters that would go really well. If you want a bit of racy acidity with it, then try it with François Plouzeau's Sauvignon de Touraine - if you're wondering where to buy them, have a look at our catalogue!
The two parts of an artichoke that are edible are the flesh inside the leaves and the heart - the bits that aren't are the choke and the stem. Follow these tips and have a good time!
1) Wash the artichoke under cold water. Cut off the stem to make a flat base and remove any tough lower outer leaves.
2) You need to give the artichoke a bit of a haircut to remove the thorns. Trim the tips of the leaves with scissors to make eating them less painful!
3) Place the artichokes in one layer in a saucepan or steamer, and sprinkle over some salt and lemon juice. If you are boiling them, pour in enough water to come halfway up the artichokes. If you're steaming them, make sure that there is enough water in the base of the steamer to last for three quarters of an hour. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer or steam for 45 minutes. When it's done it is easy to pull the leaves from the outside. Drain them upside down in a colander for a few minutes, and eat them while they're warm or leave them to cool to room temperature.
4) Put away your knife and fork for a bit and dig in with your hands! You only eat the soft end of the leaf, so pull off a leaf, dip the base end into your sauce of choice (melted butter, vinaigrette or mayonnaise are great) and, starting at the tip and moving towards the base, scrape the leaf between your teeth - as soon as you get to the soft edible bits they'll come off into your mouth. Discard your used leaf and eat another one.
5) When the leaves are eaten, you will be left with the base, or artichoke heart (you've seen these bottled in oil at the shops), topped with a fuzzy patch. Scoop away the fuzzy patch and discard. with a knife and fork, cut bites from the heart and dip in your sauce. Amazing flavour!
6) You might want to reserve the heart for another use, such as in a salad with tomatoes, olive oil and mozzarella, or cut up and put on a pizza before baking.
back to top
This recipe is a classic! Serve at lunch for two on its own, or shared between 4 as a starter. You can substitute the crab with prawns or chopped seafood sticks.
- 2 artichokes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 big handful cooked crab meat
- 1 handful chopped veggies of your choice, like celery or peppers
- 2 tablespoons minced spring onion, or red onion
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon cream or plain yoghurt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dash of paprika
- 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and chopped
For dipping:
melted butter, mayonnaise, or a simple vinaigrette of your choice
To prepare your globe artichokes and follow steps one to three in our preparation guide above. While they are still warm, press the leaves gently back, leaving them attached, so that the artichoke resembles a flower. Pull out the small white and purple centre leaves and scrape out the choke (the fuzzy part). Chill the artichokes. Combine the remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl. Place the artichokes on two plates and divide the salad between the two, filling the hollow centres and sprinkling any remaining salad on the plates. To eat the artichokes, pull the leaves off and dip in whatever sauce you've chosen before scraping the soft base of the leaf off with your teeth. When you've finished the leaves, dig into the rest!
back to top
Serve warm on its own, or alongside roasted meats or fish.
Serves 2
- 90g dry breadcrumbs
- 1 handful grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons assorted fresh chopped herbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 artichokes
To prepare your globe artichokes and follow steps one to three in our preparation guide above. While still warm, press the leaves gently back, leaving them attached, so that the artichoke resembled a flower. Pull out the small white and purple centre leaves and scrape out the choke (the fuzzy part) with a spoon. Preheat your oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas mark 5. Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, herbs and oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pack the breadcrumb mixture onto the artichoke. Place on a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until golden. To eat the artichokes, pull the leaves off and scrape the soft base of the leaf off with your teeth. When you've finished the leaves, eat the rest.
back to top