Grilled Artichokes with Creamy Herbed Sauce

Artichokes can pair with wine! It just must be the right wines!

Artichokes are notoriously difficult to pair with wine. The chemical compound, cynarin, in artichokes makes other ingredients taste sweeter. Enter the grilled artichoke with a herby sauce. The kiss of the grill and the creamy, herbal dip makes a pairing a little more simple.

Artichokes are fussy to prepare. It is a labor of love. You have to work quickly to prevent oxidizing – the beautiful creamy inside turning brown quickly when exposed to air. But you also have to remove the fuzzy choke from the center.

We’re going to walk through breaking down these artichokes, step by step. Let’s get into those artichokes!! But first, let’s make the creamy herby sauce.

Creamy Herbed Sauce

Yes, this dipping sauce has mayo in it, but I also used Greek yogurt. When I use Greek yogurt in cooking, it is always the full fat version. I like the consistency of full fat yogurt. It also has a good amount of protein.

I grow mint, oregano, parsley, basil, lemon balm, but not always regularly. Right now I have lots of lemon balm to use. As its name implies, it has a nice lemony flavor. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family, so it grows quite pervasively. Grab a big fistful of any of these delicate herbs. You can even add cilantro or tarragon. It all tastes great in this Herbed Mayo. Chop to add to the sauce.

Instructions for Creamy Herbed Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise – or 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt – or use all Greek yogurt

• 1 cup chopped herbs – any combination of your favorite leafy herbs – parsley, mint, lemon balm, basil, cilantro, oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (you may find the mayo has enough salt for you)

Chop the herbs. Set aside. In a small bowl, place 1 cup of mayo (or the Greek yogurt substitution). Add the chopped herbs and stir. Add salt and pepper to season. If you need more, add to taste.

Cover and refrigerate until ready for service.

Preparing the Artichokes

First you will need to prepare your tools.

                -bowl of acidulated water (lemons)

                -long, serrated knife – makes cutting into the artichoke much easier than a regular blade.

                -scissors

                -spoon

                -large pot of boiling water

 It is handy to have a bowl of acidulated water waiting to set the cut artichokes in. Acidulated water just has an acid added to it, like lemon juice. Squeezing a half a lemon into the bowl of water helps acidify the water to prevent browning. The other half of the lemon can be used to rub the surfaces of the cut artichokes to prevent the rapid browning Each cut you make, rub lemon juice on it.

As you are preparing your artichokes, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

After washing your artichokes, snip off the tips of the artichoke leaves with scissors. These leaves have a bit of a sharp point at the end that can stab you. Let’s get rid of these little suckers. Then you will cut the very end off the stem.  Shave off the outer tough portion of the stem. I do this with a knife by peeling it off. Next, take your long, serrated knife and saw off the top quarter of the artichoke. In the opposite direction, cut the artichoke in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. You will have 2 halves. Rub each side with lemon juice.

Using your spoon, scoop out the fuzzy part of the artichoke and discard. The fuzzy choke is not edible. There maybe some delicate leaves on the inner most layers. These can sometimes be sharp at the ends, especially when purple. Feel free to trim these tips with scissors. When you have removed the fuzzy choke, rub with lemon juice and place in the acidulated water. Continue with the remaining artichoke halves.

Parboil the Artichokes & Grilling

When you have prepared the artichokes, lower each into a pot of boiling water with the lemon half from the acidulated water. Boil for 13 minutes. As the artichokes boil, prepare your grill.

Remove from water and cool for a few moments. Brush olive oil onto the inside of the artichoke half. Grab a fresh lemon and cut in half crossways. Brush the lemon with olive oil.

Place artichokes cut side down on grill at medium high heat. Grill artichokes for 5-8 minutes per side, leaving longer if necessary to get good charring on the artichokes.

Keep grilling to get a good char. The artichoke becomes softer and the flame kissed artichokes taste so much better!

Your artichokes are now ready for the Herbed Mayo. When those grilled lemons are cool enough to handle, squeeze juice and pulp into the Herbed Mayo and stir.

Place an artichoke or 2 on a plate, fill hollowed center of artichoke with Herbed Mayo. Peel the leaves from the outside of the artichoke and eat by scraping the tender flesh of the leaf with your teeth. Make sure to dip each leaf you pull into the Herbed Mayo in the center of the artichoke. So delicious!

Wine Pairing with Grilled Artichokes

Yes, artichokes are notoriously difficult to pair with wine. I’ve tried different wines with this dish and these are some of my favorites. I hope you can find these in your area.

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