Whole artichokes, steamed until tender then finished hot off the grill, torn apart leaf by leaf and dragged through a punchy herb salsa verde. Messy, hands-on, and worth it.
For the Artichokes
- 8 globe artichokes
- mint and thyme leaves optional
- Olive oil
- Salt
For the Salsa Verde
- ½ bunch mint
- ½ bunch coriander
- ½ bunch parsley
- 20 g black olives pitted
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 clove garlic
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- Dried chilli flakes
For the Artichokes
- Remove any excess leaves from the base of the stem. Place the artichokes into a steamer or several steam baskets set over a pot. Add the thyme and mint sprigs to the steamer if using.
- Steam for 15 minutes, or until tender. Stab the centre with a fork to check.
- Remove from the steamer and let cool slightly, then cut in half through the centre.
- Scoop out the choke (the fluffy, inedible centre) with a small teaspoon.
For the Salsa Verde
- Blend all salsa verde ingredients together and season to taste.
To Assemble
- Drizzle the artichokes generously with olive oil and season with salt, working it into all the nooks and crannies. Preheat the grill.
- Place the artichokes face down on the grill and cook 2-3 minutes until well charred. Flip to warm the rough sides.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with plenty of salsa verde and a scattering of soft herbs.
- Chef’s Knife
- Chopping board
- Grill
- Steamer
- Blender
I’ve spent hours of my career painstakingly peeling back artichokes for their hearts alone. Beautiful, but you miss out: the leaves carry plenty of their own goodness. My mother used to stuff whole artichokes when I was a kid, and pulling them apart with your hands, gnawing the tender base off each leaf, hasn’t lost its appeal for me since.
Gentle steam does the real work here, then a quick flash on the grill adds char and smoke on top. The salsa verde brings herbs, olives and anchovy for a properly Mediterranean hit, though plenty of good olive oil, lemon juice and flaky salt would do the job too.