A Recipe for Roasted Artichokes // Enginar Izgara
Inspired by Samin Nosrat's take on grilled artichokes with a few minor adjustments, we decided to buy some fresh at our local farmer's market in Selçuk, Turkey. I didn't have shallots so I used onion instead and I substituted red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar. My alterations are noted in the recipe below but I want to make it clear that Samin is amazing and if you have the necessary ingredients to make it her way, do that. After boiling the artichokes in water and coating the heart of the vegetable in olive oil, we grilled them to develop flavor and texture. Finally, we tossed them in a bright vinaigrette right before serving. It is such a simple and delicious way to eat artichokes - perfect as a meze, tapa, or side dish.
For the artichokes: 6 large artichokes Extra-virgin olive oil 1 white wine vinegar Kosher salt
For the honey-mustard vinaigrette: 1 tablespoon finely diced onion 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 ½ teaspoon honey 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Instructions:
Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, let the onion sit in the vinegar for 15 minutes to macerate, then add the mustard, honey, olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and a small pinch of pepper. Stir or shake to combine, and taste for seasoning.
Set a large pot of water on to boil over high heat. Build a charcoal fire, or preheat a gas grill. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the tough, dark, outer leaves from the artichokes until the remaining leaves are half yellow, half-light green. As you clean them, place the artichokes in a bowl of water with the vinegar, which will help keep them from oxidizing, which makes them turn brown. Use a teaspoon to carefully scoop out the choke, or fuzzy center, then return the artichokes to the acidulated water.
Cut the artichokes into bite-sized sections.
Once the water has come to a boil, season it generously until it’s as salty as the sea. Place the artichokes in the water and reduce the heat if the water stays at a rapid simmer. Cook the artichokes until they are just tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 5 minutes for baby artichokes and 14 minutes for large artichokes. Use a spider or strainer to carefully remove them from the water, and place them in a bowl.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Place the artichokes cut-side down on the grill over medium-high heat. Don’t move them until they begin to brown, then rotate the skewers until the cut side is evenly brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Flip, browning the other side in the same way.
Remove from the grill. Stir the parsley into the vinaigrette, then drizzle over the artichokes. Serve hot, or at room temperature.