This recipe for easy garlic roasted artichokes can be made in minutes without the fuss normally associated with preparing this vegetable. Not much is added here apart from good olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. The flavour of the artichokes really shines through, and things can get a little messy at the eating stage.

Make a dipping sauce of your choice such as lemon or garlic butter if you like, or simply add more sea salt flakes and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Some artichokes can be a little dry and others have more juicy leaves. Either way, eat from the inside out and stop when the leaves become too fibrous.

I love my recipe for artichokes stuffed with a parsley pesto crumb (can use basil pesto too) but that requires a little more effort.

These artichokes are paired with the maiden 2018 vintage of I’m Your Huckleberry by winemaker Jolette Steyn. I’m obsessed with this label and the design. This wine is a lovely expression of Semillon and is part of the August Insider’s case of wine that celebrates local women winemakers. This case of extremely interesting wines is available on Wine Cellar with free delivery nationwide.

I'm Your Huckleberry 2018 Semillon, The Vineyard Party

Whenever I see artichokes come into season, I know we are on the slope towards spring. They always feel like spring to me. In Italy, you will find them from early winter to mid-spring as they come from different parts of the country. I spotted a man peeling artichokes at speed in the Rialto market in Venice in the Autumn 2017.

You might also like:

Creamy pasta with artichoke, spinach & capers

Warm salad of broccoli, new potatoes, artichokes & pesto

To see all my pics from my trip to Italy:

Venice

San Gimignano, Siena & Cinque Terra, Italy

A walking food tour around Bologna

A trip to see how Parmigiano Reggiano is made

Florence

Al Gelso Bianco – Tuscany

A cooking class with Enrica Rocca in Venice

Recipe – serves 2 – 4 people as a starter snack

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:45

Ingredients

6 artichokes
Juice from a lemon plus extra wedges to serve
6 cloves garlic crushed
4 Tbsp good quality olive oil
Sea salt flakes such as Malden
Black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F.
Cut most of the stem off each artichoke and slice the top third of the flower. Cut in half and squeeze the lemon juice over the artichokes. Scoop out any furry choke you might find in the middle..
Mix the garlic and olive oil together along with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Holding each cut half over a bowl, spoon some of the olive oil mix down between the leaves.
Use your fingers to pry the leaves apart slightly allowing the oil to go in. Scoop up any excess garlic oil and use it to coat the next artichoke. Place them into the roasting dish cut side facing up. Add 60ml / 1/4 cup of water to the pan.
Cover the dish tightly with tin foil and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and then continue to roast for another 15 – 20 minutes until the edges start going golden brown and crispy. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes and additional lemon wedges plus any dipping sauce you like such as garlic or lemon butter or aioli.