Confit artichokes in olive oil

Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables and, if I have to choose my favorite way to prepare them, without a doubt I go with artichokes confit in olive oil. If you're wondering how to confit artichokes, you should know that confiting artichokes is a process in which we cook the artichokes submerged in olive oil, at a low temperature and for a long time.

The biggest complication of this dish is cleaning the artichokes, which is more fun than difficult, but in the recipe I give directions to make this step as easy as possible. Otherwise it is a simple dish to prepare, since, although the cooking time is long, it doesn't 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 confit artichokes (The capacity of my casserole is amazing!) and store them in the wonderful Rocco Bormioli preserving jars, which couldn't be prettier and are perfect for storing them. Not to mention for gifting! I'm already imagining my loved ones' faces when I give them this delight in such a beautiful jar…

And while to enjoy this dish it’s enough to simply serve the confit artichokes warm with a few flakes of salt, we can also cook them on the griddle for a few minutes, just long enough to brown and caramelize them. And if we also serve them with a few shavings of ham or some anchovies… I’m telling you we won’t need much else to enjoy at the table!!

Le Creuset cast-iron cocotte and Rocco Bormioli preserving 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. For this, first put plenty of water in a bowl to soak the artichokes, add the lemon juice and also the lemon once squeezed. In this bowl you should place the artichokes as you clean them, until the moment of cooking them, since they oxidize very quickly and the lemon water prevents that oxidation.
2. Next, cut the artichoke stem, peel it, remove the end part which will be drier, and cut it into slices about 1 cm thick. Put the stem slices in the lemon water
3. Remove the outer leaves of the artichoke, the greener and tougher ones, until you see the leaves are a lighter color and much more tender.
4. Cut off the top of the leaves, which is also very tough, and with a knife well sharpened, remove the remnants of the tougher leaves that remain at the base of the artichoke. For 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, if present, the little fuzzy choke in the center of the heart, helping yourself with a melon baller spoon.
6. Immediately, immerse the artichoke in the lemon water until the moment of cooking to avoid oxidation.
7. Repeat this process with all the artichokes.
8. Once you have all the artichokes prepared, take them out of the water, along with the stem slices, drain them, dry them well and place them in the casserole.
9. Add the olive oil and, if you wish to add them, the peeled garlic clove and the sprigs of thyme.
10. Put the casserole over low heat and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 80°.
11. During the entire cooking you must control the temperature, to ensure it never exceeds 80°. For this the best is to use a kitchen thermometer (there are some very simple and effective ones, like the Gefu one).
12. If you don't have it, you'll have to watch that the oil is hot, but never reaching boiling or bubbling, keeping the heat at the lowest setting. In my case, the power of the ceramic hob burners is numbered from 1 to 9 and I keep the heat around 2 during the entire confit.
13. Confit the artichokes for approximately 2 hours, until, when piercing the heart with a knife, the artichoke is tender but not falling apart.
14. Let the artichokes cool submerged in the oil.
15. Once cooled, store the artichokes in the Rocco Bormioli glass jars, previously sterilized.
16. Fill with the confit oil up to 0´5 cm from the rim of the jar and let sit a few minutes so the oil settles well and covers all the gaps. If necessary because the oil level drops, add more oil and close the jar well.
17. This way, the artichokes keep in the refrigerator for more than 15 days.
18. If you want to preserve the confit artichokes for longer you must vacuum seal them.
19. To do this, once the jars are closed, stand them upright in a pot covered with cold water, so that the water reaches at least 4 cm above the jar (you should cover the bottom and sides of the pot with cloths to separate the jars from each other and prevent them from bumping).
20. Put the pot on the heat and cook for approximately 45-50 minutes. After this time, turn off the heat and let the jars cool inside the water. Once they are cold, take them out of the pot, dry them and store in a cool, dry place, away from direct light.

Notes:

• If you prefer, you can replace the lemon added to the artichoke soaking water with some sprigs of fresh parsley.
• To sterilize the jars to be used:

1. Boil 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 inside the water.
3. Once cold, take them out of the water trying not to touch them (you can use tongs for this) and let them dry completely by placing them upside down on a clean cloth.
4. Once dry you can proceed to fill them.

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