Candied artichokes in olive oil

Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables and, if I have to choose which way to prepare them I like the most, I would definitely choose artichokes confit in olive oil . If you are wondering how to confit artichokes , you should know that confit artichokes is a process in which we cook the artichokes submerged in olive oil, at a low temperature and for a long time.

The most complicated part of this dish is cleaning the artichokes, which is more than difficult, it is entertaining, but in the recipe I give you instructions to make this step as easy as possible. Apart from that, it is a simple dish to prepare, since, although the cooking time is long, it does not require more work than putting the artichokes in a pan and covering them with oil.

And, since the cooking time is long, I prefer to prepare a large quantity of candied artichokes (the capacity of my cocotte is incredible!) and store them in the wonderful Rocco Bormioli preserving jars , which couldn't be prettier and are perfect for preserving them. Not to mention for giving as gifts! I can already imagine the faces of my family when I give them this delicacy in such a pretty jar...

And although to enjoy this dish you only need to serve the confit artichokes warm and with a few flakes of salt, you can also grill them for a few minutes, just the time needed to brown them and caramelize them. If you also serve them with some ham slices or anchovies... I can tell you that you won't need much more to enjoy them at the table!!

Le Creuset Cast Iron Cocotte and Rocco Bormioli Canning Jars

Ingredients

• 12 fresh artichokes (approximately 2 kg)
• 1.5 liters of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic (optional)
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
• 1 lemon
• Water to soak the artichokes

Le Creuset cast iron cocotte and Pallarès kitchen knives.

Preparation of artichokes confit in oil

1. Start by cleaning the artichokes. To do this, first put plenty of water in a bowl to soak the artichokes, add the lemon juice and also the lemon once squeezed. You should put the artichokes in this bowl, as you clean them, until the time of cooking them, since they oxidize very quickly and the water with lemon slows down this oxidation.
2. Next, cut the stem of the artichoke, peel it, remove the part at the end that will be drier, and cut it into slices of approximately 1 cm. Put the stem slices in the water with lemon.
3. Remove the greener, tougher outer leaves of the artichoke until you see that the leaves have a lighter color and are much more tender.
4. Cut off the top part of the leaves, which is also very tough, and with a very sharp knife , remove the remains of the toughest leaves that are left at the base of the artichoke. To do this, you just have to “peel” that area in the same way you would peel an apple.
5. Next, cut the artichoke in half and remove any fluff from the center of the heart, using a ball-removing spoon.
6. Immediately submerge the artichoke in the lemon water until ready to cook to prevent oxidation.
7. Repeat this process with all the artichokes.
8. Once you have all the artichokes arranged, remove them from the water, along with the stem slices, drain them, dry them well and place them in the cocotte .
9. Add the olive oil and, if you wish, the peeled garlic clove and thyme sprigs.
10. Place the cocotte over low heat and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 80°.
11. You should monitor the temperature throughout the cooking process to ensure that it never exceeds 80°. To do this, it is best to use a kitchen thermometer (there are some very simple and effective ones, such as the one from Gefu ).
12. If you don't have one, you'll have to make sure that the oil is hot, but never boiling or bubbling, keeping the heat at minimum. In my case, the power of the ceramic hob is numbered from 1 to 9 and I keep the heat at around 2 throughout the confit.
13. Confit the artichokes for approximately 2 hours, until, when you pierce the heart with a knife, the artichoke is tender, but not falling apart.
14. Allow the artichokes to cool submerged in the oil.
15. Once cooled, store the artichokes in Rocco Bormioli glass jars , previously sterilized.
16. Fill the jar with the oil until 0.5 cm from the edge and let it rest for a few minutes so that the oil settles well and covers all the gaps. If necessary, because the oil level drops, add more oil and close the jar tightly.
17. In this way, artichokes can be kept in the refrigerator for more than 15 days.
18. If you want to preserve candied artichokes for longer, you should vacuum pack them.
19. To do this, once the jars are closed, place them upright in a saucepan covered with cold water, so that the water reaches at least 4 cm above the jar (you should cover the base and sides of the saucepan with cloths to separate the jars from each other and prevent them from colliding).
20. Place the pot on the heat and cook for approximately 45-50 minutes. After this time, turn off the heat and let the jars cool in the water. Once they are cold, remove them from the pot, dry them and store them in a cool, dry place, out of direct light.

Grades :

• If you prefer, you can replace the lemon added to the soaking water of the artichokes with a few sprigs of fresh parsley.
• To sterilize the jars you are going to use:

1. Cook them for 20 minutes in a large pot, well covered with water and with the lids loose. Use cloths to separate the jars from each other and from the bottom of the pot.
2. Let the jars cool in the water.
3. Once they have cooled, remove them from the water, trying not to touch them (you can use tongs for this) and let them dry completely by leaving them face down on a clean cloth.
4. Once they are dry you can proceed to fill them.

Le Creuset iron cocotte , Pallarès kitchen knives and Caractère de Revol plate .