Pan-Fried Baby Artichokes With Gremolata

By David Tanis

Pan-Fried Baby Artichokes With Gremolata
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(83)
Comments
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Here is an appetizer course to beat the band. Baby artichokes dipped in seasoned flour, fried and served with a gremolata of parsley, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest and capers. Snap off a few of the tough, dark exterior leaves of the little artichokes until the pale green centers are visible. Then cut a half-inch or so off the tops of each artichoke and trim the stem end with a paring knife. Cut them lengthwise into halves or quarters and put them in a bowl of water with a good squeeze of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. This can be done an hour or two before cooking. Use olive oil to fry them if you’re feeling extravagant, or a frugal combination of olive and vegetable oils.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 12baby artichokes (about 1½ pounds)
  • 2cups buttermilk
  • 1cup all-purpose flour
  • Pinch cayenne
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying
  • ½cup chopped parsley
  • 1small garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1teaspoon finely chopped or grated lemon zest
  • 1teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest
  • 1tablespoon roughly chopped capers
  • Lemon wedges
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1349 calories; 122 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 88 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 2122 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Remove dark tough exterior leaves from artichokes. Trim stem end and cut off top of each artichoke, then cut in half lengthwise. Put artichoke halves in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Leave to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Mix together flour, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Drain artichokes, dip in seasoned flour to coat and put on a plate in one layer.

  3. Step 3

    Pour ½ inch oil in a wide skillet and place over medium-high heat. When oil is wavy, carefully slip in artichokes one at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. (Fry in batches if necessary.) Let fry gently until one side is well browned, about 2 minutes, then turn over and brown other side. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.

  4. Step 4

    Make the gremolata: Combine parsley, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest and capers. Put fried artichokes on a platter and sprinkle generously with the mixture. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

Ratings

5 out of 5
83 user ratings
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Comments

Katie

How important is it to soak in buttermilk? Would the result be very different after soaking in acidulares water?

Danielle

Definitely peel off way more leaves than you think you need to. Mine came out pretty bland. Too much effort for the end result.

Beth

It's winter in the Midwest and no baby artichokes to be had. I risked using frozen artichoke hearts, rinsed them in warm water and squeezed out the extra water. Followed the rest of the recipe as written. It was fantastic! I wasn't sure I'd need the buttermilk, I tried one with and one without before I got the whole batch going. Definitely tasted better after the buttermilk bath. Will definitely make again.

Laura H.

This recipe is delicious but you really do have to make very sure you take off a lot of the outer leaves; if you don’t, the artichoke is tough, just like a larger one, and won’t be pleasant to eat. Once you think you’ve taken off enough, take off at least one more layer.

Sookie

Delicious. I didn't make the gremolata, though, just dipped in melted butter.

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