Organic artichokes from Little House Green Grocery (Photo by Lauren Baldwin)
ARTICHOKE BASICS
Buying: A fresh artichoke should feel heavy in your palm, with tightly packed crisp, green leaves. When you rub them together, they should make a slight squeaking sound.
Cooking: Once the artichoke is trimmed, steaming or boiling softens the exterior. Depending on the cooking method, you may remove the choke either before cooking or serving.
Prep Work: Using a chef’s knife, cut the stem and the top inch from the artichoke. Remove the tough outer leaves by hand, and trim the pointy leaf tips. Place the artichokes in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon to prevent discoloration.
AROUND RVA
Chez Max: Garlicky and indulgent, artichoke hearts with wild mushrooms and vegetables simmer under a bubbling blanket of mozzarella.
821 Cafe: Quite possibly better than onion rings, maybe even French fries, this spot's crispy fried artichokes are the side dish your sandwich needs.
The Mill on MacArthur: Forget the oysters. The artichoke po’boy boasts crispy artichokes on a warm baguette with a just spicy enough Cajun remoulade.
Photo courtesy The Jefferson Hotel
“Artichokes will always be one of my favorite ingredients to work with — and they are a lot of work.” —Bryan McClure, sous chef at Lemaire
COOK LIKE A LOCAL
Artichokes With Scallop Crudo
By Bryan McClure, sous chef at Lemaire
When Bryan McClure first prepared fresh artichokes, it seemed like a lot of effort for little gain — until he tasted the beautifully poached results. “Some of the most daunting tasks in the kitchen can reveal the greatest rewards,” McClure says. His recipe for poached artichokes with scallop crudo and caramelized onion agrodolce aims to be equally gratifying.
Poached Artichokes
4 fresh artichokes, cleaned
1 cup white wine
4 quarts vegetable stock
2 lemons
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh mint
2 large shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Place everything but the artichokes into a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, add the cleaned artichokes and reduce to a simmer. Allow the artichokes to simmer for 15 minutes or until just tender. (A cake tester or toothpick should go through with little resistance.) Then remove from heat and allow artichokes to cool in the liquid.
Caramelized Onion Agrodolce
4 yellow onions, diced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup sherry vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Place a large skillet over low heat and allow to warm. Add canola oil to the pan, then add onions and let cook, stirring often, until fully caramelized. This process takes some time (about 90 minutes), but it’s absolutely necessary to highlight the sweetness of the onions without them becoming too bitter. While the onions are cooking, place the sugar and sherry vinegar in a sauce pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn the pot down to low and continue reducing until syrupy, then set aside.
Once the onions are fully caramelized, drain off any excess oil left in the pan, then add the sherry vinegar syrup. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and black pepper.
Mint-Oregano Oil
1 cup fresh mint leaves (tightly packed)
1 cup fresh oregano leaves (tightly packed)
1 cup grapeseed oil
Blanch both herbs in boiling, salted water for approximately 10 seconds. Immediately transfer the herbs to a container of ice water to shock them. Once the herbs are chilled, wring them completely dry by wrapping them in a kitchen towel and squeezing very tightly to remove all moisture. Make sure you use a dark towel or an old one, to avoid discoloring your favorite kitchen towel. Next, roughly chop the herbs then place them in a blender. Cover with the grapeseed oil and a pinch of salt.
Puree the resulting oil on high for about a minute, making sure it's completely smooth and that it does not get too hot from the friction of the blender. Let the oil sit, refrigerated, for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight, then strain through cheesecloth. (A paper towel or a coffee filter will work as well if you don’t have access to cheesecloth.)
Scallop Crudo
4 fresh jumbo sea scallops
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the juices, vinegar, olive oil and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slice each scallop into three even slices. Place the sliced scallops in a separate bowl and cover with marinade, reserving some marinade for plating. Let the scallops sit in the marinade for five minutes, then remove.
To Assemble
Cut artichokes into eighths through the stem, and season them with olive oil and salt. Place the sliced scallops and their marinade on a plate. Lay the artichoke pieces over the scallops, then drizzle some reserved scallop marinade and some mint-oregano oil over the entire dish. Garnish with a few small spoonfuls of the onion agrodolce, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt (I like Maldon), and garnish with fresh mint and oregano.
