Artichoke Hearts with Herb Gremolata

Artichokes are one of our favorite things of all time. Although we will eat an artichoke in pretty much any form, there is nothing better than a restaurant-prepared artichoke. At restaurants, we see them prepared in two main ways: whole (steamed or grilled with dipping sauce for the leaves) or prepared tapas-style so that only the tender stem, heart, and leaves are used. We are making the tapas-style version on a bed of whipped ricotta and topped with an herb gremolata. These restaurant-style artichoke hearts are incredibly delicious and easier to prepare than they look.

Here are some tips for the best artichoke hearts:

• Lemon: Artichokes oxidize as soon as you cut them, causing them to brown. To prevent this from happening, immediately after cutting them, rub lemon over the cut. We also like to have a bowl of lemon water on hand to place them in while we prepare the other artichokes before boiling.
• Pick the right one: Read the tips below to ensure you are using a fresh, delicious choke. The dish is only as good as the quality of ingredients used. Making sure you have the right artichoke is half of the battle. We know you can’t see inside the choke when buying them, but luckily there are a few tips to ensure you are getting a fresh, delicious choke.
• Boil them with aromatics: To ensure the artichokes are layered with flavor throughout the process, we not only top them with delicious additions like ricotta and gremolata when plating, but we also infuse them with spices while they boil. In this recipe, we add lemon, salt, and pepper into the water while the artichokes boil. Adding these directly into the water will ensure the artichokes are layered with seasoning and flavor. You can play around with the additions to the water. Other things we love including in the water are herbs like thyme or bay leaf or rosemary.

How to pick the best artichoke:

When it comes to selecting artichokes, it’s important to choose ones that are fresh and flavorful. Here are some tips to help you pick the best ones for this dish:

1. Look for artichokes with tight, compact leaves: Choose artichokes with leaves that are tightly packed and not spread out. This is a sign that the artichoke is fresh and hasn’t started to dry out.
2. Check for firmness: A good artichoke should feel firm and heavy in your hand. Squeeze the artichoke gently to make sure it’s not soft or squishy.
3. Check the color: Look for artichokes that have a deep green color. Avoid artichokes that have a lot of brown or yellow spots, as this can be a sign of decay.
4. Check the stem: The stem of the artichoke should be firm and not dried out. If the stem is soft or mushy, it’s a sign that the artichoke is not fresh.

Components of Artichokes hearts on ricotta with gremolata:

1. Whipped Ricotta: A mixture of ricotta cheese, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper that is whipped until light and fluffy, perfect for serving as a bed for the artichokes.
2. Artichokes: Are one of our favorite vegetables that requires a little bit of preparation to remove the tough outer leaves and fuzzy choke, but they are always worth the effort.
3. Herb Gremolata: A flavorful mixture of finely chopped herbs (chives, parsley, mint), garlic, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil that is dotted over the top of the artichokes for a bright and fresh finish.

Ingredient Notes:

1. Artichokes: Look for artichokes that are firm and heavy with tightly packed leaves. The leaves should be a vibrant green color without any signs of browning. See a full list of tips above.
2. Peppercorn: We use black, whole peppercorns for this recipe.
3. Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the gremolata as this is directly drizzled over top of the artichokes.
4. Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest add brightness to the recipe. We use a microplane to zest our lemons.
5. Ricotta: We recommend using whole milk ricotta for the whipped ricotta.
6. Herbs: Fresh herbs are the base of the gremolata. You can also adjust the herbs but using other herbs such as basil or tarragon.
7. Garlic: Green garlic can be hard to find, so you can substitute it with a clove of regular garlic.
8. Salt and pepper: We always use diamond kosher salt in our recipes. 

Artichoke FAQ:

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Artichokes on Whipped Ricotta with Herb Gremolata

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 2

Ingredients

Artichokes

• 3 artichokes
• 1 tablespoon peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 lemon cut in half
• 2 tablespoon olive oil for frying

Gremolata:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• 3 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• ½ bunch of mint finely chopped (~3 tablespoons)
• 1 stem of green garlic or 1 medium clove of garlic finely minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Whipped ricotta:

• 6 oz ricotta
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

For serving:

• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

Artichokes and assembly:

• Wash and prepare artichokes. To prep the artichokes, use a serrated knife to cut ~1” off the top of the artichoke. Then peel off the majority of the leaves until you reach very tender light yellow leaves (do not throw these away! They can be stemmed separately and enjoyed with dipping sauce.). Use kitchen shears to remove any thorny tips on the remaining leaves. During this entire process, keep a lemon handy and rub each cut with lemon juice to keep the artichoke from oxidizing (we also place them in a bowl of lemon water while we are preparing the rest of the chokes)
• Clean the stem by cutting off an inch from the bottom of the stem and peeling the remaining outer stem. Rub the exposed stem with lemon juice
• Cut the artichoke in half. Again, rub the exposed choke with a lemon
• In a pot of boiling water with ~2-3 inches of water, mix in the salt and peppercorns. Add in the lemon. Place the pot over medium high heat and add the artichokes. Boil for ~20 minutes until tender.
• Remove them from the water and remove the furry, indelible center with a spoon
• Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel (you can set these aside covered with the paper towel while you make the gremolata and ricotta)
• Set a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add in the olive oil and artichokes cut side down. Fry for ~3 minutes until they are golden.
• Place the prepared whipped ricotta (below) in an even layer on the bottom of a plate. Add the artichokes on top and dot with the gremolata (use to taste, there may be some leftover). Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze more lemon juice over top to taste

Gremolata:

• Add the olive oil into a bowl. Finely chop all the herbs and add them into the bowl.
• Add the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Whipped Ricotta:

• Add the ricotta, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper into a bowl. Use a whisk to whip the mixture slightly. Set aside or in the fridge until ready to plate.