WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Marinated artichokes have so many uses that they should be considered a pantry staple; they’re perfect for everything from topping pizzas to tossing into a salad or pasta to arranging on an antipasto platter. But store-bought versions tend to be mushy and bland—and expensive. We set out to make our own recipe for easy, inexpensive, and boldly flavorful marinated artichokes. To get the best tender-yet-meaty texture and sweet, nutty flavor, we started with fresh baby artichokes, simmering them gently in olive oil with lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Then they rested off the heat until perfectly fork-tender and infused with the aromatic marinade. We stirred fresh lemon juice, more zest, and minced garlic into the mixture before transferring the artichokes to a bowl and sprinkling them with fresh mint.
Serves 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lemons
- 2 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds baby artichokes (2 to 4 ounces each)
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled (6 smashed, 2 minced)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon reserved grated lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove three 2-inch strips of zest from 1 lemon. Grate ½ teaspoon zest from the second lemon and set aside. Halve and juice lemons to yield ¼ cup juice, reserving spent lemon halves and setting aside juice. Combine oil and lemon zest strips in a large saucepan.
- Working with 1 artichoke at a time, peel and trim the stem to remove the dark green layer, then cut off the top quarter of the artichoke. Break off tough outer leaves by pulling them downward until you reach delicate yellow leaves. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise (quarter if large). Rub each artichoke half with the spent lemon half and place in the saucepan.
- Add smashed garlic, thyme sprigs, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the saucepan and bring to a rapid simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally to submerge all artichokes, until artichokes can be pierced with a fork but are still firm, about 5 minutes. Off heat, let sit, covered, until artichokes are fork-tender and fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
- Gently stir in ½ teaspoon of the reserved grated lemon zest, ¼ cup reserved lemon juice, and minced garlic. Transfer artichokes and oil to a serving bowl and let cool to room temperature. Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with mint. Serve. (Artichokes and oil can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
