Artichoke Piccata – Vegetable Heaven on a Plate

We consume A LOT of artichokes in our house.  And we usually enjoy them like this.  But recently, I decided I needed a more creative preparation.  My goal was to serve artichokes in a whole new way.  But it had to be a preparation that did not overpower the gorgeous flavor of this beautiful vegetable.  Artichoke piccata came to mind.

So, I go online and start researching recipes and guess what?  I found recipes for chicken piccata with artichokes.  And I found recipes for artichoke piccata with pasta, and even artichoke piccata alone.  But they all used prepared artichokes in a jar.  And that’s just not the same thing.  A fresh artichoke is a thing of beauty.  So, I created my own artichoke piccata recipe for these fresh little gifts from mother nature.

A big part of enjoying fresh artichokes comes from eating the bits of heart meat off the leaves.  And you want sauce on every bite.  This method of preparing artichoke allows you to pluck the leaves for easy consumption while still ensuring that every bite is amplified with a generous coating of mouth-watering piccata sauce.

Can you tell we were thrilled with this new preparation?  I’ve served this several times since my first attempt.  And we have sung its praises every single time!

Let’s Make This Artichoke Piccata

For a vegetarian option, substitute the chicken broth with a vegetable broth.

When picking artichokes, I look for supple leaves without cracks.  A healthy color, as opposed to a dull green.  And a nice, fat stem.  We eat the stem, so I want as much of it as I can get.

Many fresh artichoke recipes suggest you trim the ends of the leaves before cooking, as well as cleaning out the choke.  I never do it that way.  Mainly because before cooking, those leaves are tough to cut, and you have to remove too much of the heart when cutting out the choke.  Also, before cooking, cuts to the artichoke make it start to oxidize, requiring you to frequently bathe it in lemon juice to keep it from turning dark in spots.  Why go through the hassle?

Another benefit to keeping the leaves intact is that they create the perfect little bowl for that beautiful piccata sauce!

Remove small, random little leaves that stick out from the top of the stem.  Then turn the artichokes stem side down under a running faucet and let the water fill the spaces between the leaves.  Turn it back over to drain, then repeat.  This will help wash the artichoke and remove any trapped debris between the leaves.

Chop off 1/4-inch from the end of the stem to remove any dry and darkened spots.  Add to a pot of water with a teaspoon of salt.

Cover and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then lower the flame to medium.  If your lid does not have a venting hole, place the lid at an angle to allow some steam to escape or the lid will dance off your pot.

Cook until one of the larger leaves on the top easily releases from the stem with a firm tug.  That will be approximately 25 minutes after you achieve a rolling boil, depending on the size of your artichoke.

Stand your artichoke on the leaves with the stem up.  Using a sharp knife, cut through the center of the stem and down through the leaves to make 2 equally sized halves.  I find I get a cleaner cut with an electric knife.

Then remove the small, paper-thin leaves in the center and scrape out the choke.  That is the crown of pointy fibers closest to the heart.  They are not really edible on a large artichoke.

Cleaning out the choke now, after the artichoke has been cooked, is SO much easier than when it is raw.

Lightly coat the cut side of the artichoke in flour.  Just gently place it face down on the flour but do not press it down.  The flour serves to give the artichoke a beautifully caramelized aspect, but you don’t want flour to fill the spaces between the leaves because it will clump and not cook.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet to medium-high heat.  Add one tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil.  When the butter has melted, place the artichokes dredged side down and cook until the flour has turned a nice golden brown.

Place in a large serving bowl with raised sides.

De-glaze the pan with the chicken broth and wine, stirring to loosen all the little bits of browned flour.

Then add the garlic, lemon juice, capers, and remaining butter.  I did not add salt because the chicken broth contained enough salt.  But I did add some freshly cracked pepper at this point.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about 1/4.  The sauce will still be runny, which is what you want so that it can sink into all the little spaces between the leaves.

Then pour the piccata sauce directly out of the pan equally over the artichokes in the serving bowl.  Be sure to scrape all the bits of garlic and capers out of the pan.  They add so much flavor!

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve!

Don’t they look amazing?  And see how the whole leaves serve as the perfect little cup for that luscious piccata sauce?  Gosh I love these things!

Serve with the protein or pasta of your choice.  Or hey, make it an artichoke-only meal!  You can’t go wrong with these beauties.

Lemony, buttery, briny, and garlicky.  This sauce is so bright and full of flavor, it does not disappoint.

So tender, the leaves easily separate from the heart.  Pinch them off, dip them in the sauce cup, and scrape the meaty head off with your teeth.  Then finish it off with big bites of that decadent heart.  It truly is vegetable heaven on a plate!

Artichoke Piccata - Vegetable Heaven on a Plate

 

Author: Lori

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  55 mins

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Ingredients

• 2 large fresh artichokes, untrimmed
• 1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter, separated
• 1 lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup)
• 3 teaspoons capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup flour, for dredging
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Remove small, random little leaves that stick out from the top of the artichokes' stems.
2. Turn the artichokes stem side down under a running faucet and let the water fill the spaces between the leaves. Turn it back over to drain, then repeat.
3. Chop off ¼-inch from the end of the stems to remove any dry and darkened spots.
4. Place the artichokes in a pot of water with a teaspoon of salt.
5. Cover and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then lower the flame to medium. If your lid does not have a venting hole, place the lid at an angle to allow some steam to escape.
6. Cook until one of the larger leaves on the top easily releases from the stem with a firm tug. That will be approximately 25 minutes after you achieve a rolling boil.
7. Remove from the pot and drain.
8. Stand your artichoke on the leaves with the stem up. Using a sharp knife, cut through the center of the stem and down through the leaves to make 2 equally sized halves.
9. Then remove the small, paper-thin leaves in the center and scrape out the chokes.
10. Lightly coat the cut side of the artichoke in flour. Just gently place it face down on the flour but do not press it down.
11. Heat a large, non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil. When the butter has melted, place the artichokes dredged side down and cook until the flour has turned a nice golden brown, approximately 2 minutes.
12. Place the artichokes browned side up in a large serving platter with raised sides.
13. De-glaze the pan with the chicken broth and wine, stirring to loosen all the little bits of browned flour.
14. Then add the garlic, lemon juice, capers, and remaining butter. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste, if necessary.
15. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about ¼. The sauce will still be runny.
16. Pour the piccata sauce directly out of the pan equally over the artichokes in the serving platter. Be sure to scrape all the bits of garlic and capers out of the pan, then serve.

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