Alcachofas en Escabeche
Region: Spain, Valencia
Category: Antipasto, Meze, Tapas, and Hors d'Oeuvres
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but labor intensive
This is a magnificent preparation from the Spanish province of Valencia. The artichokes become a golden brown and are delectable little morsels that beg to be eaten. It’s an elegant preparation for a noble vegetable and I allow two artichokes per person although you could easily eat the whole preparation yourself. See on how to prepare artichokes. You will have enough marinated garlic sauce left over for another recipe, too.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 1:45 hours
|
|
1. Trim the artichokes and remove the hearts, rubbing each all over with the cut half of a lemon and place in a bowl of water acidulated with the juice from the other half of the lemon so the artichokes don’t discolor while you continue working.
2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until nearly smoking, about 10 minutes of preheating, then cook the artichoke hearts with the bay leaf until golden brown on the outside and until a skewer glides to the center of the artichoke heart without too much resistance, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and transfer to a shallow serving platter or bowl.
3. Meanwhile, pound the garlic with the salt in a mortar. Stir 3 tablespoons of the oil you cooked the artichokes in into the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon at the time. Now, stir in the vinegar 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the garlic is a creamy-looking sauce. Spoon small amounts of this mixture over the artichokes. Drizzle the artichokes with olive oil and a splash of vinegar and set aside for 1 hour before serving. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Posted: 01/11/2007
