Summer Staples : Grilled Artichokes with Homemade Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli

Grilled Artichokes with Homemade Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli

I had never had grilled artichokes until I up & decided to make these for dinner one night. I don't know what inspired me to do this, but I just found myself drawn to them while at Whole Foods. Why hadn't I made these before? Crazy talk. I should whip these up every weekend. I feel that if you are going to hassle yourself to heat up the grill (and submit your body to the hot, humid heat of the South), then you might as well get a full meal outta it... appetizer included. The most complicated part of the recipe is cleaning + prepping the artichokes. But let's be honest, I'll take preparing the artichokes in a cold kitchen, instead of running an oven for an hour. You've got to think of these kinds of things when you live down south like we do. For instance, how do I get from Point A (prepping) to Point B (dinner) without having to take a cold shower or having to put my shirt over the standing fan, which practically turns myself into that scary, huge marshmallow man/thing/godzilla from Ghostbusters. Please tell me someone else does this because if not, I should probably claim truth by omission. Also, am I the only one who firmly believes on turning other rooms of the house into a secondary kitchen? My Mountain Man always finds this so odd, but I think it's essential to summer staple cooking. You can find me on any given night, prepping dinner in the living room. Weird, I know, but I set up about 3 cutting boards, with multiple bowls, cooking utensils, and a trash can, just so that I can watch T.V. while getting dinner ready at the same time, in front of the coldest fan we got. Don't judge me, I am only human. After the artichokes are all ready, plop them in a a pot of boiling water, just to get them started. Once the pre-cooking is done, I covered them in olive oil, lemon juice, and a bunch of chopped herbs and tossed them onto the grill for a good char. I absolutely love the smokey taste that the artichokes pick up, and then when it's paired with a trio of homemade aioli's... you're in southern summer heaven. There is something so relaxing about picking apart the artichokes and peeling off the flesh with the back of your teeth. Homemade aioli takes it over the top by providing a wonderfully, creamy element. I was partial to my Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli for dipping, but also served some truffle aioli and sriracha aioli as well. But it's all up to you, any creamy sauce would be great with these grilled artichokes, trust me!! Enjoy :)

prepping the artichokes (in the living room, yep).

toss 'em the grill

that's a good char right there.

perfectly smokey 

drizzle with a little more olive oil + lemon juice and finish some more fresh herbs

Whip up the Homemade Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli.

And if you wanna feel fancy like us, serve a trio of homemade aioli's.

oh yeah, this shit is gonna be good.

REAL good.

For the Homemade Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

1 Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

1 Head of Roasted Garlic, Cooled & Garlic Pulp Only

½t Salt

¾C Canola Oil

Freshly Grated Lemon Zest (to taste, we used a lot for a strong lemon flavor)

For the Grilled Artichokes:

2 Large Globe Artichokes

1 Lemon, Cut into Wedges

¼C Olive Oil

1T Fresh Herbs, Chopped (we used a mixture of rosemary, thyme, oregano, & dried basil)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli: Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, roasted garlic pulp, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with freshly grated lemon zest, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
2. Prepping the Artichokes: Place chopped herbs in a small bowl, cover with olive oil. Microwave on high heat for 30 seconds (or heat oil and herbs on the stove top until warm). Let the herbs seep in the warm olive oil while you prepare the artichokes. Prepare a large pot with an inch of water at the bottom and a steamer rack. Prepare the artichokes. Have lemon wedges ready. If you want a nice presentation, use scissors to snip away the pointy tips of the artichoke leaves. As you trim the artichokes, rub the cut areas with juice from the lemon wedges to prevent the artichokes from turning brown from oxidation. Use a vegetable peeler to cut away the thick outer layer of the artichoke stems. Trim the stems to 2 inches from the base of the artichoke. Cut off and discard the top ½inch of the artichokes. Cut the artichokes in half. Use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the fuzzy chokes and the small inner artichoke leaves. Rub lemon juice all over the inside and exposed cut areas of the artichokes. Heat the water in the large pot with a steamer rack on high. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high and place the artichoke halves, cut side down on the steam rack. Cover. Steam for 20 minutes (less of more, depending on the size of the artichokes), until you can easily pull off the outer leaves, and you can pierce the heart easily with a knife.
3. Grilling the Artichokes: Prepare your grill for direct, high heat. Use a pastry brush to brush the artichoke all over with the herb infused oil. Sprinkle all over with salt. Place the artichoke halves cut-side-down on the grill grates. Cover, and grill for 5 to 10 minutes, until you have nice grill mark on the cut sides of the artichokes.
4. Serving the Grilled Artichokes: Remove the artichokes from the grill once they have achieved a good char. Finish by drizzling a little more olive oil and lemon juice over them. Fresh herbs are also a nice touch right before serving. Accompany the dish with your homemade Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli, as well as any other dipping sauce. We had a trio of aioli’s… roasted garlic-lemon, Sriracha, and truffle.

source: grilled artichokes.