Lemony Artichokes with Feta and Oregano

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Lemony Artichokes with Feta and Oregano  

 

1 quart cold water

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. lemon juice

8 baby artichokes

4 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

about 3/4 cup stock or water

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

2 ounces sheep's milk feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup; or use cow or goat

milk feta)

 

In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the water and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice.

Cut 1/2 inch off the top of one artichoke. Cut off the stem. Next, peel off and

discard most of the outer leaves until you reach the tender, light green inner

leaves. You will be removing more than half of the leaves. Cut the artichoke in

half lengthwise, and then cut each half lengthwise again to make quarters. Put

in the bowl of acidulated water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes. Set

aside.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the

minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the artichokes from the acidulated

water, shake off the excess water, and add them to the pan.

Saute, stirring frequently, just until the edges of the artichokes begin to turn

brown and become caramelized, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the  stock

and cover. Cook the artichokes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender but

still firm, about 10 minutes. If the artichokes or garlic is sticking to the

pan, add a tablespoon or two of stock or water. You want to keep the amount of

liquid to a minimum, but you naturally don't want the artichokes or garlic to

burn. (The garlic, however, will have turned a dark brown color.) Remove the

cover and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining  stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the liquid to 1 tablespoon. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the 1

tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and the oregano. Stir well.

Place artichokes on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with the cheese

and serve immediately.

Note: If baby artichokes are not available, you can use large globe artichokes

instead. Cut 1 inch off the tops. Peel off all the leaves except for the very

thin inner leaves. (Since the tips of the leaves are sharp, you may want to use

scissors to cut them off before peeling.) Once they have been trimmed, cut them

in half and scrape out the fuzzy choke inside. Then cut them into eighths.

Proceed as described. Serves 4.