These Crispy Artichokes are out of this world good – crispy, crunchy, and zesty. And with that Roasted Garlic Caper Aioli? Heaven.
Every time I see any type of Crispy Artichoke on a restaurant menu, I order them. So I decided to create my own recipe so I can make them any time I want, and so can you! Of course, you should serve them with the Roasted Garlic Caper Aioli, however they’re still amazing with just a squeeze of lemon as well. Serve as an appetizer or a veggie side dish, you can’t go wrong!
This recipe requires you to use baby artichokes, not regular-sized artichokes. Not every part of a larger artichoke is edible, so you can’t substitute one in this recipe for baby artichokes. They’re normally in peak season in the Spring. I found mine at my local farmer’s market.
I love the Roasted Garlic Aioli paired with the Crispy Artichokes too! It’s a great dipping sauce to complement the artichokes, adding a creamy element to the dish. The roasted garlic is key here too, adding a buttery garlicky flavor instead of that sharp, raw garlic, punch. It’s not only delicious with the Crispy Artichokes – You can use any leftover aioli on a sandwich, eat it with any type of fish, or with roasted potatoes.
Ingredient Notes:
- Mayonnaise – You can use any type of mayonnaise here: light, avocado oil, etc.
- Parsley – I prefer to use Italian Parsley versus Curly Parsley.
- Neutral Oil – Use an oil such as Canola or Vegetable Oil, that has a high smoke point and is good for frying.
Recipe Tips:
- It’s important not to overcrowd the artichokes in the pot, so use a larger, wider pot, if needed, depending on how many artichokes you are making.
- Don’t forget to start the artichokes in room temperature oil either. They will brown and fry too quickly and won’t be cooked through.
- You can make these ahead of time for company! Remove the artichokes from the oil before you raise the heat to medium high and let them drain and cool on paper towels. When ready to heat, fry them in hot oil over medium-high heat, continuing the recipe where you left off.
- Lastly, remember to sprinkle with salt right when they come out of the fryer, or else the salt won’t stick to the artichokes.
Crispy Artichokes with a Roasted Garlic Caper Aioli
Equipment
- Tinfoil
- Food Processor I used a mini one
- 1 Small Bowl
- Paring Knife or Peeler
- Paper Towels
- 1 Wide Heavy-Bottomed, Deep Pan or Pot
- 1 Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 18 garlic cloves
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons capers roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 baby artichokes
- Neutral Oil for frying, such as avocado oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place the garlic in the center of a square of tinfoil and drizzle a third of the olive oil over the cloves. Scrunch it up into a foil pouch and place into the oven, roasting for 35-40 minutes until tender. Let cool completely in the foil.
- Place roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor with the mayonnaise, juice from half a lemon (if doubling or tripling this recipe, adjust the amount), and the remaining olive oil. Puree until the mixture is as smooth as possible. It may still have a few chunks, that’s okay. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in capers and half the parsley. Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- To clean the artichokes, start by filling a large bowl with water. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice into the water, placing the entire lemon half into the bowl as well. Peel off any of the harder outer leaves, starting at the base of the choke (I usually go around the artichoke about 3 times until I have peeled off all harder outer leaves). Next, trim the root of the stem, if any. With a paring knife or peeler, peel the stem of the artichoke, exposing the pale green center of the stem. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise and then trim off half an inch off the top of the artichoke. Place immediately into the lemon water to prevent browning.
- Once all the artichokes have been prepped, drain and pat dry with paper towels, drying them well. Place into a heavy bottomed sauce pot (make sure not to overcrowd – If you need to get a wider pot, please do so) and pour frying oil over the artichokes, covering by 1-2 inches or halfway up the side of the wide pot or pan.
- Turn heat to medium and bring to oil to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 12 minutes. Then uncover the pot, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until artichokes are crispy.
- Remove artichokes from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle immediately with Kosher salt. Place onto a serving dish and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve with roasted garlic caper aioli, for dipping. TIP: If you have extra lemon, squeeze a wedge of juice on top of the artichokes.
These are so good! Made them for the first time last night
OMG I made these artichokes last night for guests and they were incredible! I should have made more.