Steamed Artichokes in Vinaigrette

I’m back from an incredible “research” trip, aka family vacation that involved a ton of eating. After a week of heavy eating I opted for something lighter and this really hit the spot. I love artichokes but they do take quite a while to cook. If you quarter them first they steam much quicker. They can be a tricky vegetable to understand so I’ve added a few steps to walk you through the process of cleaning. I always wonder “who was the first person to decide to eat an artichoke?”

Artichokes in Vinaigrette 

yield : 2 servings 

prep : 45 minutes 

1 large Artichoke  
½ lemon 
1 large or 2 small Shallots, peeled and halved length wise
¼ cup Olive Oil 
1 ½ Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 
1 Tbsp Water 
1 ½ tsp Stone Ground Mustard
1 tsp Soy Sauce
½ tsp Sambal Olek or Chili Hot Sauce
½ tsp Honey 
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Cut the artichoke into quarters, from the pointy top to the bottom of the stem. Make a small cut, about ½ inch deep into the hairy center (see image below). Pull out the “choke” so you are left with the hearty leaves and the soft center heart intact (see image below). 

Place a steamer basket or colander in a deep pot. Add just enough water so it comes to the bottom of the basket but does not cover it, about an inch should be good. Add the artichoke quarters center down. Then add the half of lemon. Cover the pot and place on the stove over medium heat. Steam the artichokes for 20 minutes, until the inner portion of the stem is fork tender. Discard the steamed lemon and allow the artichokes to cool before serving. 

While the artichokes steam make the dressing -  

Drizzle shallots with a small amount of oil. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Place shallots sliced side down and allow to char for 1 minute. Check for color. We’re not going for fully burnt but we do want a deep brown color. Once shallots have a nice dark sear, flip them to the round side and allow them to cook for another minute, flip them back to the sliced side. Leave the shallots in the pan and remove it from the heat. Allow them to sit in the pan while we measure out the rest of the ingredients. This will help them cook a little further. 

Reserving the olive oil on the side, measure out remaining ingredients into a food processor. 

Rough chop shallots and add to the processor. Buzz until a thick chunky paste forms. Drizzle in olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. If the dressing tastes sharp, like raw onion, add a small pinch more of salt. Salt helps neutralize the raw sharp flavor without actually adding a salty flavor.  

Spread a hefty portion of dressing on a plate and lay artichokes cut side down onto the vinaigrette.

Extra dressing will keep for a week in the refrigerator.