RECIPE: Campfire Artichokes

Eating an artichoke is 90% the motion and 10% the food, and as such it draws people to a table like no other snack (campside or not). People come because they are curious and have not yet had the pleasure of plucking, and then scraping the tender meat from the base of the leaf  (easily converted) or because they know exactly what they are in for. Prep the artichokes a night or two before and put them in a bath of vinaigrette. Come happy hour, fire up the cast-iron pan and sizzle the cut edges of them until they are crispy, brown and falling-apart tender.

Makes enough for 4–6 to snack on

Ingredients

For the Artichokes:

3 lemons

4 artichokes (When selecting artichokes, look for those that feel heavy for their size with tightly closed leaves. Give them a squeeze: If the artichoke squeaks when squeezed, it’s fresh. If the leaves are brown and splitting, the artichoke is likely past its prime.)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

For the Vinaigrette:

3 garlic cloves, smashed

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup sherry vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

At home: 

Fill a large bowl with water and add the juice of 2 lemons. Toss the lemons into the water. Set aside. 

Prep the artichokes: 

Cut off the stem, leaving about ¾-inch nub behind. Flip the artichoke around and cut off the top third or so, leaving a flat top. Pull off the bottom 3 or 4 rows of leaves by pulling downward toward the stem, snapping them off and discarding them. Use a paring knife or peeler to carefully peel away the tough outer layer of what is left of the stem, and the base of the artichoke, removing the dark green bases of the leaves that you just pulled off. Use kitchen scissors to trim the top of each outer leaf right across the top where there is a little thorn. This step is optional as the tops of the leaves tend to soften while roasting, but I do it anyway; it looks a little cleaner and at this point, why not? When done, toss in lemon water and repeat with remaining 3 artichokes. 

Put a big pinch of salt and the juice of the third lemon in a large pot. Place a steamer basket inside and fill the pot with water until it reaches just under the basket. Set the artichokes inside, stems up. Bring to a boil. 

Cover the pot and steam until the leaves are easily plucked and tender and the stem offers no resistance to a paring knife, about 25 minutes. 

While artichokes steam: 

In a jar or small bowl, combine all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk (or shake) to combine. 

When artichokes are cool enough to handle, remove them from the steamer and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove the fuzzy choke (or heart) and any tough purple leaves from each half. Transfer warm artichokes to a zip-top bag and cover with vinaigrette. Press gently to remove as much air as possible, and let sit on the countertop for 30 or so minutes to cool down. Transfer to the refrigerator (and then to your cooler until fireside!) You can prepare artichokes up to 2 days before you are in the woods. 

At the campsite:

Heat a heavy-bottomed cast-iron pan or grill grate (either will work!) over a hot bed of coals. Once the grate is hot, add the artichokes cut side down and sear until the cut sides are golden brown and crispy. Turn them over and grill for a few minutes on the other side. Transfer to a platter, and enjoy!

Psst: Not 100% sure how to actually eat an artichoke? Peel off a petal and use your bottom teeth to scrape the flesh from inside the cooked tough outer leaves. Discard the petal after enjoying the flesh. The inner tender leaves, heart, and stem are entirely edible. The vinaigrette in this recipe gives the artichokes enough flavor on its own, but dipping the leaves in melted butter or aioli (or just plain ol’ mayo) is traditional and delicious.