Roasted Artichokes with Lemon Tarragon Dipping Sauce

Roasted Artichokes with Lemon Tarragon dipping sauce

• 3 artichokes
• 3 lemons
• 3/4 cup of wine
• olive oil, about 1/2 cup
• fresh thyme
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons of fresh tarragon, can substitute with dried about 1 teaspoon
• 1 tablespoon of worchestire sauce
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper

I get a big pot of water and fill it 3/4 ‘s full.  I put in the artichokes, squeeze in one fresh lemon and then put the halves in water with the artichokes.  I add the wine, any white is fine, and then a few sprigs of fresh thyme.  I grow thyme in my yard because it is super easy to grow and tastes great on all roasted vegetables.  I then put in about 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic chopped.  Turn the flame to high, put on a lid and check them in 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes I pull off a leave to see if it is tender.  If so drain them in a colander and let sit for a while.  I usually do this part in the early afternoon when I have a chance and then let the artichokes sit in the colander for a few hours until I am ready to roast.  You don’t have to do that but it seems easier and saves time when I am rushing to throw the dinner together.

Cut the artichokes in half and clean out the little leaves you don’t eat.  If any big leaves fall off, still put them on the cookie sheet, you don’t want to waste them.  Brush with olive oil and season liberally with sea salt and pepper.  Put on the top rack of the oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  My oven is convection and really hot so you may need to cook a little longer or shorter.  Once the tips of the leaves start to look browned and a little crunchy and they are sizzling, they are ready.  I always line my cookie sheets with foil, to save time on my clean up.  

While the artichokes are roasting make the dipping sauce.   Take 3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise and put in a small bowl.  Whisk in the juice from 2 lemons, the worchestire sauce, the tarragon and salt and pepper to taste.  The sauce gets pretty thin which is good, you don’t want it to thick, that grosses me out.  Make sure you taste it as you go because you never know how weak or strong the flavor will be in a lemon.  Today I definitely needed 2 lemons but sometimes I only need one, so taste as you go.

All done!!!   You can serve this as a healthy appetizer or a side dish for 4-6 people.  I personally eat about 3 halves for my dinner and my family eats the other 3.  You can always make 4 artichokes but they don’t fit in my pot really well, so I have resigned myself to 3.  

Enjoy…