Simple steamed artichokes are wonderful, but these Artichokes Baked with White Wine, Thyme & Lemons are divine. Serve with a preserved lemon & ricotta dip for an impressive appetizer.
This is a lovely recipe from Honey & Co. at Home: Middle Eastern Recipes from our Kitchen by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, a cozy cookbook from two married Israeli chefs in London. The dipping sauce calls for preserved lemons, which can be found in any Middle Eastern market. Preserved lemons can also be used in marinades, stews, and various Middle Eastern recipe. If you cannot find preserved lemons, substitute with some lemon juice.
Simple steamed artichokes are wonderful, but these Artichokes Baked with White Wine, Thyme & Lemons are divine. Serve with a preserved lemon & ricotta dip for an impressive appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 big artichokes or 4 small ones
- 1 lemon, sliced
- a couple of sprigs of thyme
- 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled
- 250 ml water (generous 1 cup)
- 250 ml white wine (generous 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Lemony Ricotta Dipping Sauce
- 1 tup ricotta (about 200g or scant 1 cup)
- 2 preserved lemons, flesh removed, and skin finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- If your artichokes are large, cut them into quarters. If they are small, cut them in half. Rub the slices of lemon the cut surfaces of the artichokes to stop them from going black. Scoop out the hairy chokes with a teaspoon.
- Place the artichokes in an oven-proof, shallow pan cut-side up. Place the lemon slices, thyme and whole garlic cloves in between the artichokes.
- Pour the water and the wine on top, and sprinkle with the salt and peppercorns. Finally drizzle with the olive oil. Cover with aluminon foil.
- Place in a hot oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the leaves just come out as you pull gently.
- Remove the artichokes from the cooking liquid and serve warm.
For the Dipping Sauce
- Mix all of the dipping sauce ingredients together and serve with the warm artichokes.
