Italian Braised Artichokes and Potatoes

As a Californian I have a love affair with artichokes. They are delicious steamed, fried, marinated or pickled, in lasagna or on pizza, dipped in mayonnaise or vinaigrette, pretty much any which way. But I had never had them braised before.

Add this to the list of delicious preparations! Not only is their flavor superb in this dish, but they lend their flavor to the rest of the ingredients and make something much more delicious than the sum of it’s parts.

The flavor of this dish honestly surprised me, it is so rich and hearty despite the simple ingredients. The potatoes take on a beautiful aroma and flavor from the artichokes and aromatics. The most challenging part of this recipe is probably trimming the artichokes. Everything else is simple and mostly cooks on the back burner of the stove, leaving you to focus on the rest of your dinner preparation.

I served it with Homemade Mushroom Ravioli and a green salad.

Braised Artichokes and Potatoes

Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Serves 4-6 as a side

2 large or 4 medium artichokes
½ lemon
1 pound potatoes
1/3 cup onion, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic, chopped very fine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1. Trim the artichokes*: Remove the tough outer leaves near the base, slice 1 inch off the top, snip off the thorns and tough parts from the top of each leaf, trim and peel the stem. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise, then scrape out the fuzzy choke. Rub with lemon juice to minimize browning.

2. Cut trimmed artichokes into 1-inch wedges, rub newly cut edges with lemon.

3. Peel the potatoes, wash in cold water, and cut them into small wedges about ¾ inch thick at their broadest point.

4. In a heavy-bottomed pot just large enough for the ingredients, put in the chopped onion and olive oil. Turn the heat to medium high; cook stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden.

5. Add the potatoes, the artichokes, salt, pepper, and parsley, and cook long enough to turn the ingredients over 2-3 times stirring gently to mix ingredients well.

6. Add 1/4 cup water, adjust the heat to cook at a steady but gentle simmer, and cover tightly. Cook until both the potatoes and artichokes are tender when prodded with a fork, approximately 40 minutes. While cooking, you may add 2-3 tablespoons of water if you find that there is not enough liquid in the pot. Taste and correct for salt before serving.

*If you’d like to get serious about only having the edible part of the artichoke in your final prepared dish, I recommend reading Marcella’s instructions in the cookbook noted above or taking a look at this artichoke preparation video and making sure to use 2 large globe artichokes for the best results.