Braised Artichokes
In this Julia Child recipe, braised artichokes are slowly cooked in chicken broth seasoned with white wine and butter.
Child uses a classic mirepoix of diced carrot, onion, and celery. I had no celery and am married to an onion hater. I therefore used carrot, leek, and a little garlic.
Vermouth, which is also in the braising sauce.
The garlic came off a braid, which I bought thinking I’d hang it up a la French Farmhouse. Not for nothing did I name this blog the Insufficient Kitchen: once home, I realized there was nowhere to hang the thing. It now lives in the bowl with the unbraided onions and garlic. So much for fake farmhouse decor.
Returning to the task at hand….depending on their age and size, the artichokes may take anywhere from 35-60 minutes to cook. Test for doneness with a skewer–it should go in easily–or by pulling a leaf, which, again, should come away easily.
Braised artichokes may be served as a first course or side dish. They also make a lovely vegetarian meal served with rice, noodles, couscous (one of these, not all), a salad, and crusty bread to sop up any remaining braising juices.
Braised Artichokes
Adpted from the cookbook From Julia Child’s Kitchen, by Julia Child
Please read entire recipe before starting to cook.
4 tablespoons butter (you may not need all of this, or the olive oil)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thiny sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into coins
1 leek, peeled, trimmed, and cut into coins
2 artichokes, prepared (see below for prep instructions)
4 ounces/60ml Vermouth or white wine
1 cup/8 ounces/227ml chicken or light vegetable broth
fresh lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
You will need a saucepan that just fits your artichokes, which will stand on their bottoms, and a large spoon or ladle to baste them.
To prepare artichokes:
Break off any leaves that look damaged. If your artichoke has a stem, peel and cut it off. Don’t throw it out. It tastes like the heart. Save and cook it with the artichokes!
Over low heat, melt enough butter and olive oil to cover the bottom of a saucepan that just fits your artichokes. I used a 3 quart/2.8 liter lidded saucepan.
Add the carrot, garlic, and leeks. Bring to low simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. Do not brown. Add more butter/olive oil if necessary.
Add the artichokes, bottoms down. Add a teaspoon butter to top of each artichoke. Squeeze lemon–I use a generous quarter–over each. Add about one teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add broth, wine, and bay leaf. The liquid should come about 1/4 way up the artichokes.
Bring liquid to gentle simmer. Cover and cook, basting occasionally, 35-60 minutes. Some of the vegetables may get into the artichokes. That’s okay.
You may need to add more liquid during cooking time. More broth or wine is fine. If you run out or don’t want to add more of either, water is fine, too.
Artichokes are cooked through when tester easily pierces bottom and/or a leaf pulls free easily and is tender.
I turned my artichokes over after thirty minutes of cooking using tongs. Two of my larger oven burners were not working, and the artichokes were not cooking evenly. This probably wouldn’t have happened if they were on a larger burner (since repaired).
If you want or need to turn your artichokes over, go for it. If you feel the vegetables are cooking evenly without turning them, that’s fine, too.
Serve braised artichokes hot, warm, or at room temperature as a first course, side dish, or light vegetarian meal. I served them with lamb chops. Leftovers–including some of the braising broth–were incorporated into fresh peas the next night.
If you have leftover braised artichokes, handle the sauce and vegetables separately. Place the artichokes in a lidded container and refrigerate up to four days. Freezing is possible but inadvisable. The sauce may be refrigerated in a lidded container no more than three days. Freeze up to three months.
Notes:
Many artichokes lovers feel they are best after a frost. Artichokes harvested after a frost will have browned leaf bases.
The amounts of butter and olive oil are approximate. You may need a bit more or less depending on your pan and how many people you are feeding.
Artichokes keep well in a vegetable crisper up to two weeks, provided they are kept dry.
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