I just want to say thanks for all of the get well wishes I’ve been getting through comments and email from you guys. It means a lot and I appreciate it so much!
I’m feeling so much better these past few days although I did have to give up coffee and all caffeine for now. That’s been easier than I thought it would be so far, but I miss my coffee…a LOT! It’s not just the buzz, it’s the taste and the whole morning ritual of it. Decaf just doesn’t do the trick for me – it’s like….um…. Well I just sat here for five minutes and couldn’t think of a funny simile – I mean seriously, I’ve got nothing here, which isn’t like me. I blame the lack of caffeine in my system. Hopefully I can still get my snark on without it…
Meanwhile, let’s talk about artichokes! A lot of people are intimidated by them because of how they look. I’ll grant you, it’s not easy to get to the good stuff, but it’s so worth it when you do! I used to eat them all the time and I’d just pop a couple in the microwave and zap the heck out of them until they got nice and soft. But there is something about roasting them that makes them even sweeter and more delicious.
This is a very easy way to prep them, which is great for a dinner party because you slide them in the oven to roast while you make the rest of the meal, and then just drizzle a simple lemon tarragon butter over them to serve.
Roasted Artichokes w/ Lemon Tarragon Butter
- Yield: 8 halves 1x
Ingredients
- 4 artichokes
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
Instructions
- Wash your artichokes and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carve out the hairy “choke” in the center along with the tiny, pointy leaves. When you are done they should look like the picture above. They will oxidize quickly, so you can drop them in lemon water if it’s your first time and you’re a little slow at it.
- Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on size of artichoke, large ones could be longer) at 375 degrees (F) or until the heart is fork tender.
- Meanwhile, gently melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the lemon juice and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the chopped tarragon.
- To serve, ladle a few teaspoons of the lemon butter over each artichoke. Use the center “cup” of the artichoke for dipping.
Notes
The tarragon enhances the slight anise flavor in the artichokes and makes them taste somehow sweet which is then balanced out by the tartness of the lemon. I don’t know how exactly to explain the flavor, but it’s delicious!
To eat these simply peel the leaves out starting from the center and scrape the tender part off with your teeth. Serve with a small dish to put the discarded leaves into. Once you get all the leaves off you are left with the heart which is the absolute best part – dip that sucker into the butter and go to town!
- Category: Side dish
- Cuisine: Vegetables
Mmmmm….mmmmm….Good!
Sara says
The nutrition count numbers are missing!!! :( awww man! Want to try this soooo bad!
Melina says
You have to put the artichokes faceing up, the cheese melts and brings everything together so the stuffing rarely leaks out.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for clarifying Melina, but do you bake them that way or boil them?
Melina says
I boil them in a pan and put the lid on. In more or less half an hour, they’re done. I guess you can also bake them, but again, i would cover them with something so they cook faster and they don’t dry.
Melina says
I tried this at home tonight and had the same problem with the cooking time. Mine were 1 1/2 hour in the oven and got pretty dark on the outside till they finally were done. They were delicious, though.
I think that adding a little bit of water to the saucepan and covering it with aluminum foil would help to get them cooked faster, then once the artichokes are tender, you can remove the aluminium for the last 10 minutes so they get golden brown. I will try this the next time.
I still believe this is a very good idea, generally my mom and my grandma prepared them with garlic, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and olive oil. All this mixture goes in between the leaves, without cutting or removing anything from the artichoke, then they boiled the artichokes until tender.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing your tips Melina! I used to love them stuffed with the breadcrumb mixture too – but we always baked them, how did the boil them without all of the stuffing coming out?? I’m intrigued!
Sarah says
i decided to make these tonight and as the artichokes were cooking i realized i didnt have butter or tarragon :( so i just used olive oil and lemon juice with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and it was still delicious.
i used 3 small artichokes and they cooked for about 30 minutes
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Sarah, I’m so happy to hear that somebody made them and they cooked! It’s amazing the variation in cooking times different people are having with them. Just a weird thing I guess – I thought maybe I wrote my time down wrong when everybody was saying they were raw – but mine were relatively small too so I think that must have been why. Glad they tasted ok with the olive oil and lemon juice on them, thanks for reporting back!