Baby Artichokes

[auntdot]

Have read about these for years. but could never find any.

Went away for the weekend and found them. Yippee.

Bought 18 of them (there are two of us, decided not to overdo it again, LOL).

But now, what do I do with them?

Love the mama and papa chokes but have never cooked the babies.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ironchef]

There's lots of uses. A quick, easy, and tasty way to use them is to slice them thin, then fry in olive oil until golden brown, add sliced garlic, red chili flakes, and lemon zest, then toss with pasta, fresh Italian parsley, and fresh bread crumbs.

 

[SierraCook]

Auntdot, this recipe sounded very good. There was also a ton of other artichoke recipes at this website.

Artichoke recipes

BABY ARTICHOKE CHICKEN SAUTÉ

16 California baby artichokes
¼ cup olive oil
4 half chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into chunks
2 red or yellow onions, sliced thick
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and rosemary or 1 teaspoon each dried basil and rosemary, crushed
½ cup chicken broth
1 pound fettuccine, cooked and drained

Prepare artichokes as directed for Baby Artichokes (see Basic Preparation); cut into halves. Brown chicken in large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil; remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sauté onions until tender. Add artichokes to skillet with garlic, basil and rosemary. Cook until artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in browned chicken and drizzle with chicken broth; heat through. Salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve over hot fettuccine.

Makes 4 servings

(COMPLETELY EDIBLE) BABY ARTICHOKES​

While the tiniest of artichokes can be steamed whole and eaten like the larger sizes, the versatility of the "babies" shine when they are prepped to be completely edible.
14.Bend back outer petals, snapping them off at the base.
15.Continue snapping off petals until the leaves are half green (at the top) and half yellow.
16.Using a stainless steel knife, to minimize discoloration, cut the top cone of the leaves at the point where the yellow meets the green. (Green is fibrous.)
17.Cut the stem level with the base and trim any remaining green from the base of the artichoke. (Just like peeling the skin from an apple.)
18.Plunge into acidified water.
19.Steam whole; for stir-fry or sauté, cut in half or quarter horizontally. If there are purple or pink leaves, cut them out. (Those leaves will be tough.) If the interior is white, the entire artichoke is edible. Place in acidulated water to minimize browning while prepping.

 

[kadesma]

Hi Auntdot,
these little guys are one of my familys favorites I cut them down just as in the diagram SC posted, except I cut them in half at the end, then I put them in salted boiling water til just begining to get tender, drain, and put into a large fry pan with heated evoo and butter, add the chokes and saute til completely tenter. Just before serving I add fresh chopped parsley and finely chopped fresh garlic, salt and pepper if you like add a finishing dab of butter...My kids adore them this way..You can also sprinkle them with some hot buttered bread crumbs as you serve them.

kadesma

 

[karadekoolaid]

Somewhere I have a recipe from Alice Water's Chez Panisse, which is something like:
Fettucine with Asparagus and artichokes
You cook the veg until barely done, add a little garlic, good olive oil and then fold in enough mascarpone to make a rich sauce.

I like to poach those baby artichokes in a little water, extra virgin olive oil, fresh thyme, a pinch or two of salt and pepper - poach with the lid on for about 8 minutes, then allow the liquid to cool , add a little lemon juice and pour over the artichokes. A variation on artichokes alla Romana.