Artichoke Week: Sauteed Artichokes with Fennel and Lardon

J – I learned this dish way, way back in the day …

It’s still great! Got it from some fancy-chef friend of an erstwhile girlfriend … both long gone. But, the memory of the dish remains. It’s a surprising and delicious way to do artichokes. Takes all the work out of eating them, too.

Nicely, the work of preparing them is not increased all that much.

The trick, of course, is to leave as much of the tender “meat” when you break off the leaves.

I found that folding them back, breaking in the middle and then tearing off works well.

The other, obvious, FYI is to keep the trimmed or sliced artichokes in lemon water as much as possible while preparing to cook.

And, after blanching, until assembling the final ingredients in the saute pan.

This dish benefits from a light hand with the heat.

Cook things just enough to add the next ingredient.

They all keep cooking, of course.

Overcooking will quickly leave the dish mushy.

You don’t want that.

Artichoke Week: Sauteed Artichokes with Fennel and Lardon

Recipe type: Sides

Author: Jim

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized artichokes
• ½ cup bacon cut into pieces
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 Fresno chili, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced into thin pieces strips
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 Homemade chicken jus cube (link below)
• 1 lemon juice to taste

Instructions

1. Remove any stray leaves from the artichokes. Remove the thorny leaves by breaking them off about half way so the tender parts remain. Cut off the top of the artichokes.
2. Cut the bottom of the artichokes off and peel the skin of the stock.
3. Cut in half and remove the inner hairy part of the artichoke.
4. Place in water with lemon juice.
5. Cut artichokes into thin wedges and place back into lemon water.
6. Bring a pot of water with a teaspoon of salt to a boil. Blanch the artichokes until tender. About 5 minute. Remove and submerge the artichokes in cold water. Set aside until ready to use.
7. Place cut pieces of bacon into a saute pan. Cook until crispy. About 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pan but leave the oil in the pan.
8. Add shallots to the bacon oil and cook until translucent. About 3 to 5 minutes.
9. add Fresno chili and cook for 1 minute.
10. Add fennel and thyme leaves. Cook for about 3 minutes or until tender, yet still crisp.
11. Add chicken jus and artichokes. Cook just until jus has incorporated.
12. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon juice over top.
13. Serve.
14. Enjoy!

3.1.08

Homemade Chicken Jus recipe. Note: We freeze our jus in 1 Tbsp cubes.

Christina had never heard of this method.

Glad I could share … especially, when she liked it.