The artichoke is a winter vegetable of the Mediterranean diet with a reputation for being healthy. However, here we are more interested in their culinary qualities, in their slightly bitter nutty flavor that makes them delicious and special.
Their physical form is also special, and at first, artichokes can puzzle inexperienced non-Mediterranean home cooks.
To tell you the truth, I remember seeing artichokes in a Ghent food store once and I was very disappointed. They seemed completely inedible to me. They were huge and grayish-green, the leaves all open and hollow to the touch, and as dry as if they had been exposed to the desert sun for weeks. Now you know what an artichoke should not be when you buy it.
You can hardly call those Belgian artichoke flowers. Actually, flowers are what we eat. They are the edible parts of the artichoke plant, or more accurately, the unopened flower heads of this enigmatic thistle plant.
Let’s clear things up. When buying artichokes, choose ones that are compact and tightly packed. The leaves must be clipped off, or they are too old and useless for cooking any good Mediterranean dish based on artichokes. A little blackening of the outer leaves isn’t a big deal, but accept a little bit. The artichoke also shouldn’t feel too mushy in your hands; This is another sign that they were cut a long time ago.
Artichokes in a Mediterranean Landscape
Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean basin, and each spring they shoot their deep blue and purple hues across the Mediterranean. Along with wild asparagus and mushrooms, green and purple artichokes are used in a variety of dishes that link us to Mediterranean cuisine understood as the landscape in the pan, a Catalan cuisine motto and motto of my web site sentence, as my readers know.
In my homeland of Mediterranean Catalonia, we are very fond of those three plant foods, and there are many traditional dishes that use them. I don’t know about wild mushrooms, but artichokes and asparagus are known to be aphrodisiacs, which makes artichokes even more appealing.
Now you can find artichokes acceptable all winter long, but it’s in the spring when they’re at their best. In the northern part of the Mediterranean, artichokes are harvested from February to March. In the southern Mediterranean, harvest takes longer, beginning in December or November.
Some Meal Ideas With Artichokes
Simply boiling them in water with a pinch of salt and vinegar is the quickest and easiest way. In this case, do not use aluminum or iron utensils, as they turn an ugly dark color.
You can fry them, stuff them with rice or prawns, grill them, and roast them in the oven. For those who prefer to eat raw vegetables, the heart leaves can be eaten raw in some types of small purple artichoke salad.
One recipe I find particularly delicious is rice with artichokes. Their mildly bitter flavor and the sweetness of the rice make for a surprising contrast. An artichoke omelette is another great culinary idea, and in some coastal and Champagne-producing regions south of Barcelona, it is often accompanied by a scrumptious traditional salad dish called xto.
Artichokes are also exceptional, combined with chicken or rabbit. If you prefer to darken the rice of your paella, add some artichokes and fava beans to it. But grilling artichokes outdoors is unsurpassed in its simplicity. It’s an open-air fiesta, another excuse to “go grilling” with your friends, as they say in the Catalan region around the Ebre (Ebro) river, about 125 miles (200 km) south of Barcelona.
Season the whole artichokes liberally with extra virgin olive oil and some salt and lay them on the grill. Traditionally, artichokes are grilled when you’re busy eating roast beef. Once they’re done, remove the outer charred leaves, and eat the tender and delicious heart, where the olive oil is concentrated.
Here’s another simple recipe with artichokes suitable for preparing outdoors: Do your best to get small heirloom purple artichokes, remove some of the outer leaves, cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, sprinkle with some extra-virgin olive oil. , sprinkle some salt and grill them. Toast two slices of country-style bread, and place a grilled artichoke in the middle. You won’t believe how delicious it is until you try it.
Disadvantages of Artichoke
Sommeliers find artichokes very disappointing. The flavor of artichokes is so persistent, and it stays in the mouth for so long, that they can’t find any wine that’s perfect for them.
I admit that I sin whenever I eat grilled artichokes. I pair them with a strong red wine such as Priorat or a simple house red wine, although I know this breaks the laws of wine connoisseurs. But that’s what people did before sommeliers said it, so… no shortage with artichokes.
Source by Nuria Roig
