Braised Artichokes

Many people are scared to cook artichokes, and though they take some work, when cooked correctly, they are a delicious and versatile accompaniment to many dishes. This particular recipe is commonly served in Rome as an appetizer or as a “contorno” – a side dish with lamb, veal or fish. The key ingredient is the mint – and the key cooking secret is let it cook for a long time to soften the sometimes tough outer leaves. This recipe assumes you know how to clean and prepare an artichoke…

6 artichokes hearts, cleaned and quartered (24 count)
1 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 ounces white wine
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the artichokes and all other ingredients except chopped parsley into a medium bowl. Toss together and put into a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook until soft, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Note: The artichokes will keep for up to 3 weeks, refrigerated, in the cooking liquid.

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