Baby Artichokes

with Wine Glaze

Makes 4 servings

This rustic one-pot dish can play either as a starter or a side, maybe next to a piece of roasted fish (the wine glaze will serve double duty as a sauce). You can make this with full-grown artichokes, but I much prefer baby artichokes, which are more tender and don’t require as much prep work. Which brings us to . . .

• 8 to 10 baby artichokes
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ cup white wine
• ¼ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup roughly chopped mint
• ½ cup roughly chopped basil
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

With a small, sharp knife, cut off the artichoke stems. Remove the tough exterior leaves. Cut off the top third of the artichokes and trim any tough parts. Quarter the artichokes lengthwise.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re well browned on all sides and just tender when pierced with a knife. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the wine, increase the heat to high, and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the olives, red pepper flakes, mint, basil, and a pinch of sugar. Add the remaining ¼ cup wine and bring the liquid to a boil, then add the lemon juice and stir well; the liquid should form a glaze that coats the artichokes. Serve.

The Takeaway

Cleaning and prepping baby artichokes is easier than for their adult counterparts. You don’t have to remove as many leaves, and the furry choke is edible (a little bit of choke from an adult artichoke can taint an entire dish with bitterness). Let color be your guide when prepping baby artichokes: Trim away anything that’s dark green, and leave the rest.