Baby Artichokes A La ProvenÇal Food

ARTICHOKES PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Cook 1/2 chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves and a pinch of salt in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and reduce by half. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, two 9-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, 3 tablespoons water, 1 strip lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 6 minutes. Stir in chopped olives, basil and salt and pepper.

ARTICHOKES à LA BARIGOULE A CLASSIC RECIPE FROM PROVENCE

Steps:

• Fill up a medium bowl with water and add the lemon juice.
• Clean the artichokes: cut off top 1/3 of the artichoke, including spiny tops.
• Remove the outer leaves by peeling them back until they snap.
• Using a paring knife, peel stem to remove the fibrous outer layer.
• Remove any remaining tough, fibrous, dark green parts on the outside of the artichoke heart.
• With a spoon, scoop out the chokes and clean the inside of the artichoke.
• Immediately put artichokes in a bowl of water with lemon.
• In a medium sauté pan, warm up the olive oil and bacon.
• When the fat the starts to render, add the onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until it starts to soften.
• Add the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
• Drain the artichokes, shaking off any excess water, and add them to the pan.
• Add the thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well.
• Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Lower the heat, cover, and cook 40-45 minutes, until the artichokes can easily be pierced, adding a little water if they dry out.
• Discard the bay leaf, adjust seasoning to taste, add a grinding of black pepper, and transfer to a serving dish.
• Serve warm.

SALMON WITH BABY ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to paper towels. Reserve the oil.
• Fill a pot with cold water. Add the juice of 2 lemons, then add the 2 lemon halves to the pot. Cut off the top inch of an artichoke with a serrated knife. Cut off the stem and snap off the tough outer leaves. Using a paring knife, cut away the tough green parts around the base, then halve the artichoke lengthwise and add to the pot. Repeat with the remaining artichokes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the reserved garlic oil to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer 4 minutes, then drain. Discard the lemon halves.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Thinly slice the remaining lemon. Pat the artichokes dry; toss in a large baking dish with the onion, lemon slices, 2 tablespoons of the reserved garlic oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer and roast on the upper oven rack, stirring once or twice, until tender and lightly charred, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush another large baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved garlic oil. Add the salmon, skin-side down, and rub with any remaining garlic oil. Sprinkle with the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast the salmon on the lower oven rack until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and divide among plates. Serve with the roasted artichoke mixture. Top with the parsley and fried garlic.

PROVENçAL ARTICHOKE RAGOUT

Steps:

• How to trim artichokes: Fill a bowl with water, and add the juice of 1/2 lemon. Cut the stems off the artichokes, and with a sharp knife, cut away the tops - about 1/2 inch from the top for baby artichokes, 1 inch for larger artichokes. Rub the cut parts with the other half of the lemon. Break off the tough outer leaves until you reach the lighter green leaves near the middle. With a paring knife, trim the bottom of the bulb right above the stem by holding the knife at an angle and cutting around the artichoke, until you reach the light flesh beneath the tough bottoms of the leaves. Cut small baby artichokes in half, or large artichokes into quarters, and cut away the chokes if the artichokes are mature. Immediately place in the bowl of acidulated water.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet or casserole over medium heat, and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until tender, about three to five minutes. Add the red pepper and about 1/4 teaspoon salt, and stir together for three to five minutes until the pepper begins to soften. Add the garlic, and stir together for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes and a little more salt, and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant. Add the artichokes, thyme, bay leaf and enough water to cover the artichokes halfway, and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper, then cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the artichokes are tender and the sauce fragrant. Check from time to time and add water if necessary. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper.

ARTICHOKE PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Cover the bottom of a saute pan with 1/8 cup olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and shallot to pan, and saute until light brown in color. Add the bay scallops and rock shrimp and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook scallops and shrimp. Remove from heat.
• In another saute pan, add the remaining 1/8 cup olive oil and heat. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, lemon juice, clam juice, white wine, and capers. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce liquid by 25 percent.
• Add the reserved seafood to the mixture of tomatoes and mushrooms. Add the green onions. In a small bowl, make a beurre manie by combining the butter and the flour and mixing until a paste is formed. Add the beurre manie to the mixture and whisk to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Place artichoke halves in a soup bowl and ladle mixture over artichoke.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES PROVENçALE

Steps:

• Using a small regular or swivel-bladed paring knife, peel the artichokes. Cut them into quarter-inch thick slices. There should be about three cups.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the artichoke slices. Cook, stirring and tossing in the oil, about two minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring and tossing, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cover. Cook about eight to 10 minutes and serve.

ARTICHOKES A LA BARIGOULE

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with water, and add lemon juice. Peel the dark green outer leaves from the artichokes, and peel stem to remove fibrous outer layer. Cut off spiny tops of leaves. Cut artichokes lengthwise into quarters, and remove chokes. Immediately add artichokes to water.
• In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic, parsley stems, onion, fennel, carrots and celery. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Gently cook vegetables until onions are translucent but not brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add white wine, and cook until reduced by 3/4.
• Add artichokes to pot, and pour broth or water over them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until artichokes are tender, offering no resistance when pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Discard parsley stems. Add whole parsley leaves to pot, and let wilt slightly. Spoon artichokes and vegetables onto plates with a little of the cooking liquid.

SAUTE OF ARTICHOKES PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Remove the outer leaves of the artichokes. Cut the chokes into quarters. Scrape out the hairy leaves from the chokes, and using a knife, pare away any tough outer green parts. Place the quarters in a bowl of cold water, to which you have added the juice of half a lemon.
• Pour one cup water into a large saute pan and add the remaining ingredients except for the olives. Bring to boil, then add the artichokes. Simmer, covered, stirring frequently for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until the artichokes and onions are tender (about five to 10 minutes). Add more water or wine if necessary.
• Arrange the artichokes on a serving dish and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with olives and serve hot or cold.