The Painted Apron

Recipe Box, Artichokes with Dreamy Lemon Sauce

Posted by the Painted Apron on September 6, 2012 · 2 Comments 

Artichokes! That crazy vegetable that makes you work so hard for a precious little bite, but oh so worth it.

One of the all time favorite dishes around our casa is artichokes with creamy lemon garlic dipping sauce.  I grew up eating artichokes regularly, ahh…California produce, sigh.  Anyway my kiddos learned to love this at an early age and we have  converted many a doubting Southerner.  Here’s the thing about artichokes, you set one down with a bowl of dreamy lemon sauce and people get curious! “ What is that?” How do you eat it?”  “Is it really good?” “Ok, I guess I’ll try one leaf….ummmh, that’s pretty good!” And then the whole thing disappears.  We serve them for appetizers or side dishes, and it’s not unusual for us to have 1 whole one per person!  They are really hard to share…

Pick out some nice fat, fresh looking ones.

Cut stem end of artichoke off so that it will sit flat.  Trim 1/2” off top of artichoke with large knife.  Next, using scissors, trim off pointy tips of each leaf.

Place artichokes in a large pot of water, enough to submerge them.  Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat until simmering and let them cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until very tender.  Drain well.

About 10 minutes before artichokes are done, melt butter in the microwave in a measuring cup. Let cool 1 minute then whisk in mayo with a fork until smooth and creamy.  Add lemon, garlic and pepper to taste.  At this point  taste it and decide if the sauce is too thin, too thick or just right.  Add more melted butter or lemon if too thick, more mayo if too thin and more seasoning if necessary.  You want it to be thick enough to stay on the leaf when it is dipped and not be a drippy mess.

Sorry the lens got steamed up, but you get the idea…

tip:
The tricky part is keeping the sauce from separating.  I have found that if you melt the butter first and let it cool slightly before whisking in the mayo you will get a good result.  Be careful reheating, which could cause separation.  If it does separate, it will still be delicious, just not as pretty!!

Here’s the recipe:

ARTICHOKES with DREAMY LEMON SAUCE

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Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 2 large artichokes
• 1/2 cup mayo [light is fine]
• 1/4 cup butter
• juice of 1/2-1 lemon
• garlic powder
• fresh black pepper

Instructions

 

• Cut stem end of artichoke off so that it will sit flat. Trim 1/2” off top of artichoke with large knife. Next, using scissors, trim off pointy tips of each leaf. Place artichokes in a large pot of water, enough to submerge them. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat until simmering and let them cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until very tender. Drain well.
• About 10 minutes before artichokes are done, melt butter in the microwave in a measuring cup. Let cool 1 minute then whisk in mayo with a fork until smooth and creamy. Add lemon, garlic and pepper to taste. At this point stick taste and decide if the sauce is too thin, too thick or just right. Add more melted butter or lemon if too thick, more mayo if too thin and more seasoning if necessary.
• Serves 2-4 as side dish
• 6-8 as appetizer

Keyword appetizer, artichoke, artichoke appetizer, artichoke dip, lemon aioli, steamed artichokes

Enjoy!  or Indulge with a little Bubbly & some frico [cheese wafers see Aug 15]   Yes, please!

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