Braised Greek Artichoke Bottoms with Lemon and Olive Oil
- 8 medium artichokes, or 4 large
- Juice of 4 lemons
- 13 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish if desired
- Fill a bowl with water and add the juice of 1 lemon.
- Cut away the end of the stems of the artichokes, leaving about an inch.
- Break off the tough leaves around the bottom, and using a large, sharp chef's knife, cut away the tops about an inch above the widest part of the artichoke.
- Then trim the base by holding a paring knife at a 45-degree angle and turning the artichoke against the knife.
- You should end up with bare artichoke bottoms with no leaves and smooth sides.
- Peel the stems.
- Cut the artichoke bottom in half, scoop out the spiny inner leaves and the choke, and immediately plunge it into the bowl of acidulated water.
- Oil a large casserole.
- Drain the artichokes, take two halves and press them together to make a single artichoke, and place in the casserole, stem up.
- Repeat with the remaining artichokes, squeezing them into the pot with their stems facing up.
- Add enough water to the casserole to come a third of the way up the sides of the artichoke bottoms.
- Drizzle in the remaining lemon juice and the olive oil.
- Add salt to taste and sprinkle on the dill.
- Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a platter.
- Discard the liquid in the pot.
- Serve cold or room temperature, garnished, if desired, with fresh dill.
artichokes, lemons, extra virgin olive oil, salt, fresh dill
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12362 (may not work)