Growing up as a picky eater, I didn’t eat a lot of vegetables. But there was always one exception: Artichokes. I know this sounds weird, but I loved eating them as a kid. Dipping them into butter was probably the main reason. Now that I’ve begun experimenting in the kitchen, I’ve found that I really enjoy finding new ways to make artichoke dishes. Let’s face it, they aren’t the easiest vegetable to cook. But my Garlic Rosemary Baked Artichokes are both simple and delicious.
I used to boil my artichokes which I hated because it meant dragging out the big pot, waiting forever for the water to boil and then dealing with sopping up the excess liquid. I even tried steaming artichokes, which was much easier, though lacked seasoning. Baked artichokes are my happy medium. I can season them how I like and they steam within the covered baking dish so that they are tender when finished.
Artichokes are great with a dipping sauce, so I made a rosemary butter sauce which was A+. I mean I’d eat just plain butter if I could, but add flavoring like rosemary and I just can’t stop! My family is on both sides of the Butter Vs Mayo artichoke dipping debate and especially after this recipe I can say that I am firmly on the butter side of the fight.
When you choose artichokes at the grocery store, you want to look for firmer artichokes. My secret tip is to look for artichokes with a longer stem. The stem is an extension of the heart and tastes delicious. Be sure to shave off the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler before cooking though to make sure that it will soften. My last tip is to rub lemon on freshly cut artichokes to prevent browning. Artichokes will brown quickly like apples, so adding a layer to prevent oxidization will help.
What are your favorite artichoke recipes? It’s such a unique vegetable so I find variations of it hard to come by. My favorite so far was when I had fried artichokes at a tapas bar in Barcelona, Spain when I visited with my sister. They were to die for! Oh and they used a mayo based dipping sauce 😉
Garlic Rosemary Baked Artichokes
Ingredients
- 2 Artichokes
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 3-4 Sprigs Rosemary
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Halve artichokes and scoop out the choke. Brush with lemon to prevent browning and place artichokes cut side up in oven safe baking dish.
- Drizzle olive oil over artichokes. Season with salt and pepper. Slice garlic and lemon, put on top of the artichokes. Place rosemary in pan (reserve 1 sprig), then cover baking dish in foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until artichoke has softened.
- Melt butter and stir in several rosemary leaves. Dip artichoke into the butter, then enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, make sure to check out my recipe for Artichoke with Herbed Mayo HERE
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