Artichokes are one of my top ten favorite foods in the world, but they're very hard to serve to guests. This is a recipe that I riffed off of something I watched Michael Chiarello do that allows one to serve an elegant and manageable artichoke first course.
Ingredients
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, quartered lengthwise
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
About 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 boxes frozen artichokes *
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup oil cured black olives, seeds removed, chopped
*C & W brand, these are trimmed and pre-cooked but unseasoned artichoke hearts
In a deep ovenproof pan, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Add the frozen artichokes and mix to coat. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the oven, and cook until the artichokes are browned in spots and tender when pierced, about 40 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and allow the artichokes to cool off a bit, then put the cooled artichokes with accumulated baking liquids into a food processor. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and basil leaves and process until smooth. Stir in some of the olives and divide the spread between six individual ramekins, then garnish with the rest of the olives. Serve with thin grilled slices of ciabatta or good baguette.
