Though scraping the meat off of an artichoke leaf is both cathartic and delicious (particularly when said leaf has been doused in melted butter), there are so many more ways to eat this tasty thistle. You could stuff the insides with potatoes. You could make a warm, cheesy dip. You could even throw the hearts into a bread pudding. This spring, we vote for trying it all.
Since it’s peak season for artichokes, we asked chefs across the country about their favorite ways to eat ‘em. Here’s what they had to say:
Shota Nakajima, Chef/Owner, Adana
“Artichokes are snacks for me, so I like to blanch the whole entire thing without cleaning them till they’re nice and soft. Then pick at the leaves and dip them in Kewpie mayo. The snacky thing where I get to eat with my hands, like pistachios, is something that I love to do.”
Sarah Grueneberg, Chef/Owner, Monteverde
“I like to shave artichokes raw into a salad or fry them in a little olive oil to make crispy chips.”
David Posey, Chef/Owner, Elske
“I love cooking artichokes using a technique that Paul Kahan told me about, 'sott'olio', which is an Italian technique of holding vegetables in oil. The way I like to cook the artichokes is completely cleaning them of tough outer leaves and woody parts, then gently simmer in a very acidic court bouillon, then to finish, 'shock' them in cold oil. They are best after they hang out in the fridge in the cold oil for a few days.”
Julia Jaksic, Chef, Employees Only
“I love grilled artichokes on a wood fire with a garlicky aioli.”
Nicholas Elmi, Chef/Owner, Laurel, ITV, and Royal Boucherie
“Depending on size, for larger globe artichokes I like a traditional barigould (white wine, lemon, thyme, black pepper, and olive oil), for young tender artichokes I like to just split them, dust them with seasoned flour and fry them. Served with a simple dipping sauce like remoulade, they’re a perfect, light spring treat.”
Flynn McGarry, Chef/Owner, Gem
“I like artichokes raw in a salad. I've also done a "Blooming Artichoke" dish where we fry it like a Blooming Onion.”
Emily Yuen, Executive Chef, Bessou
“If I am cooking at home, I like to simply boil the artichokes in chicken stock and lemon. I like to peel off the leaves dip it in melted butter and scrape the meat off of the outer leaves with my teeth.”
Justin Bazdarich, Chef/Owner, Speedy Romeo
“For chokes, I cut in half and then poach in an aromatic broth. Once cooked, I pull out the choke and brush with olive oil and then place on the wood grill. After cooked, simply serve with any spicy aioli or mayo for dipping leaves and eating the heart."
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