Prepping Your Artichokes
Preheat your oven to 425 °F (218 °C; 491 K). The right oven temperature is important so your artichokes can bake evenly. Most ovens need about 10 to 15 minutes of preheating before they reach the desired temperature, so turn on the oven as you prep your food. Forgetting to preheat your oven can result in undercooked artichokes.
Rinse and trim your artichokes over the sink. Wash your artichokes to get rid of any dirt and rinse your artichokes of pesticides. Then, cut the stem off of your artichoke. The artichoke should be able to stand up on its own without tipping if you've removed the stem fully. Use a sharp knife to cut your artichokes to avoid knife injuries.
Place your artichokes stem-side down in a bowl. Separate the artichoke leaves with your hands. Part them as far as you can without snapping them off of the artichoke's body. Squeeze lemon juice inside the leaves for a more tangy flavor. Instead of lemon juice, you can spread garlic butter inside the leaves as a substitute. You may also stuff your artichoke with minced herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, or parsley.
Garnish the tops of your artichokes with sea salt and olive oil. Drizzle olive oil over the tops of each artichoke. For added tartness, drizzle a little more lemon juice on top with the oil. Sprinkle a pinch salt over the artichokes—once you have, your artichokes are ready to bake.
Roasting Artichokes in the Oven
Wrap your artichokes in tin foil. Finish seasoning your artichokes as you desire, then wrap each one in two layers of tin foil or one layer of heavy-duty tin foil. Pinch any seams tightly shut to avoid juices dripping from your artichokes. Put each artichoke on a baking sheet and place them in the oven once it is done preheating.
Let the artichokes bake for an hour. Set an oven timer to make sure you roast your artichokes for the right amount of time. Baking an artichoke for too long can burn them or weaken their flavor.
Create a homemade dipping sauce for your artichokes while they bake. Make an optional dipping sauce for your baked artichokes with 1.5 ounces (43 g) of olive oil and 1 juiced lemon. Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl until smoothly blended, then add a pinch of salt to taste. This step is optional. If you do not like the taste of lemons, you can skip this step.
Test whether the artichokes are done by poking them with a fork. Using baking mitts or a dry cloth, open one of the artichokes from its tin foil. Gently pull one of the leaves away from the artichoke. If the artichoke is done, it will separate easily from the center. Remember to pinch the tin foil closed again when you have finished checking.
Serving and Storing Baked Artichokes
Remove the artichokes from the oven. Place the artichokes on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before you prepare them to serve. After the 5 minutes have passed, remove the tin foil covering and place each artichoke on a separate plate.
Scrape off the leaves with a knife or your teeth. Grasp the pointed edges of the artichoke leaves. Using a knife or your teeth, scrape at the flat edges of the leaves to remove them from your artichoke. Continue scraping off the leaves until you reach the leafless center, or heart, of the artichoke. The flat edges of artichoke leaves are edible but unpleasant tasting.
Scrape off the top of the heart. The top part of the artichoke heart has a hairy texture that is not meant to be eaten. Use a knife to carefully scrape off the top until all the hairs are removed. Spoon the hairless artichoke heart out of the base and leave it on the plate. Throw away the rest of the artichoke. Serve your baked artichoke with a garlic sauce or the dipping sauce you made.
Store leftover artichokes in the fridge. Place all of your leftovers into a bowl, cover them with tin foil or plastic wrap, and store them in the fridge. Baked artichoke hearts will last for up to a week in the fridge before wilting or rotting. Warm up your leftovers in the microwave within a week to keep them from going to waste. Reheating food in the microwave can make your artichokes watery. To avoid potential mushiness, reheat your artichokes in the oven.
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