I really don’t get intimidated by many things in the kitchen. Sure, sometimes new techniques can be a little scary – as in, I can remember the first time I made caramel because it took 3 tries (and a cry), and I’m always sure my soufflé is not going to rise. But in terms of ingredients, there are few things that really throw me – not a whole octopus, not a tiny quail. Maybe the dizzying array of foul smelling ingredients required for southeast Asian cooking that I am loathe to remove from the jar but always taste delicious. However, I recently realized, as I geared up to tackle this dish, that I was totally intimidated by the raw artichokes in front of me.
The hand drawings in Marcela Hazan’s cookbook are the only thing about that treasure trove that I don’t love, and were not cutting it in explaining to me how to turn a giant thistle into something rich, delicious and even just edible. So naturally, I turned to YouTube to solve this problem. I watched a video in which the outer leaves were snapped off one by one, the artichoke was carved open and the inner tender parts removed. And then I did it myself, with a little trepidation. After the first one, I’d gotten the hang of it and the second artichoke was a breeze.
I think a lot of people don’t eat artichokes because they don’t know what to do with them. They certainly don’t make it easy, covered in scales with just a bit of tenderness on each leaf, and the heart covered in dense hair. It’s a lot of work for a little reward. But I’m a convert now – once you’ve got the technique down, it’s only a few minutes between you and a tasty artichoke, which there’s nothing else like. This opens up a world of options besides your standard baked and stuffed artichoke, and this gratin is a case in point. Smooth, delicious artichoke, crispy edges, savory Parmesan…there’s nothing about this dish that doesn’t sing.
Speaking of opening up a world of options…I am happy to report that I found a new place to live. One that will have working gas! One that will even have a pretty extraordinary amount of outdoor space for entertaining, a rarity on the island of Manhattan! One that will also have a tremendous number of stairs to climb, which I am telling myself will just help counteract the amount of cooking and eating I plan to do there. With a trip to Russia (yes! Russia!) between me and my move, things may be slower than usual here on the blog in the short term, but there’s a lot to look forward to on the horizon! Stay tuned.
Ingredients
- 2 large or 4 medium globe artichokes
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons butter plus more for dotting the baking dish
- 1 cup onion sliced thin
- Salt
- 3 medium potatoes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-reggiano
Instructions
- First, trim the artichokes. Bend back the outer leaves, pulling them down toward the base of the artichoke and snapping them off just before you reach the base. Do not take the paler bottom end of the leaf off because at that point it is tender and edible. As you take more leaves off and get deeper into the artichoke, the tender part at which the leaves will snap will be farther and farther down the base. Keep pulling off single leaves until you expose a central cone of leaves that are green only at the tip, and whose paler, whitish base is at least 1 1/2 inches high.
- Slice at least an inch off the top of that central cone to eliminate all of the tough green part. Take half of lemon and rub the cut portions of the artichoke, squeezing juice over them to keep them from discoloring.
- Look into the exposed center of the artichoke, where you will see at the bottom very small leaves with prickly tips curving inward. Cut off all those little leaves and scrape away the fuzzy "choke" beneath them, being careful not to cut away any of the tender bottom. Return to the outside of the artichoke and, where you have snapped off the outer leaves, pare away any of the tough green part that remains. Be careful not to cut off the stem.
- Turn the artichoke upside down and you will notice, inspecting the bottom of the stem, that the stem consists of a whitish core surrounded by a layer of green. Pare away the green, leaving the white intact, all the way to the base of the artichoke. Rub all the exposed cut surfaces with lemon juice from half the lemon.
- Cut the trimmed artichoke and stem into 1-inch wedges. Put them into a bowl with enough cold water to cover and squeeze the juice of the other half of the lemon into the bowl. Stir and let stand until needed later.
- Choose a sauté pan large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, put in the 2 tablespoons of
- butter and the onion, and turn on the heat to medium. Cook the onion at a slow pace, stirring occasionally, until it is very soft and deep gold. Take off heat.
- Drain the artichoke wedges and stems and rinse them in cold water to wash away the lemon. Cut the wedges into the thinnest possible slices. Put the slices into the pan with the onion, sprinkle with salt, add 1/2 cup water, turn on the heat to medium and cover the pot with the lid on slightly ajar. Cook at a slow, intermittent simmer, turning the artichokes from time to time, until they feel tender when prodded with a fork, about 15 minutes or more, depending on their youth and freshness.
- While the artichokes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- When the artichokes are done, put the sliced potatoes in a pan, turning them over 2 or 3 more times to coat them well. then remove from the heat.
- Pour the contents of the pan into a baking dish, preferable on in which the ingredients, when they are all in, will not come more than 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Add several grindings of pepper and a little more salt, and use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread the artichoke and potato mixture evenly. Dot the top with butter and place the dish in the upper rack of the preheated oven.
- After 15 minutes, take the dish out of the oven, turn its contents 2 or 3 times, spread them out evenly again and return to the oven. When the potatoes become tender, in another 15 minutes or so, take the pan out, sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan and keep it in the oven until the cheese melts and forms a light crust. Allow the heat to subside for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/05/12/artichoke-potato-and-onion-gratin/
