Wood Fired Recipes Community Cookbook
Wood Fired Roasted Artichokes
Sep 08, 2015Posted by Chef BartPrint
Wood Fired Roasted Artichokes
Eating local … I grew up a little more than 100 miles north of Castroville, California. Castroville sits just outside of Monterey and a mere 8 miles from Forno Bravo HQ. Since the 1920’s, Castroville and the Salinas Valley have been among the most productive agriculture regions of California. It can be said the area is known for its artichokes. An artichoke is the flower of the thistle plant, technically a weed, and a local favorite that has long graced the dining room table. Despite living in Maryland these days, I can’t resist the opportunity to indulge. Even better is the opportunity to give them a wonderful char and kiss of smoking oak from the Forno Bravo oven.
Artichokes have an enzyme in them that tends to make everything you eat after them taste a little sweeter than normal. This fact makes pairing a wine difficult. But forget about all the technical stuff; after you pull these out of the oven, just sit back and enjoy … a side of drawn butter for dipping is a must. Until next time, feast well. Chef Bart
Ingredients
- 3 each artichokes large
- 1 each lemon sliced lengthwise as thin as possible
- 8-12 sprigs thyme
- 6 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, fill with cold water and add the white vinegar. Snap or trim off the first layer of tough outer leaves. Trim off the top ¼ “ of the artichoke and trim the outer layer of the stem including the small dark leaves. Slice the artichoke lengthwise in half and using a spoon scoop out the hairy choke and any thorny leaves. Place the cleaned artichoke in the water and vinegar mixture. This prohibits the oxidation and discoloring of the trimmed artichoke. Remove artichokes from vinegar-water mixture and liberally season with salt and pepper. Place artichokes in a vegetable steamer and cook for 10 - 12 minutes, until ‘chokes are beginning to become tender to the touch. Remove artichokes from steam cooker and place in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon, thyme, garlic, olive oil and chili flakes. Toss so that ingredients are incorporated. Transfer to a cast iron or high temperature baking dish and place in the pizza oven. After 10 minutes, rotate the artichokes and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes. Artichokes should be tender on their hearts and stems. Transfer to a serving plate or bowl and enjoy.
