Your Very Own Marinated Artichoke Hearts

 

With artichoke hearts, I want to eat as many as possible in one sitting, but the store-bought marinated ones are actually too tangy to do this. If you feel me on that, then you will be pleased to know that non-marinated artichoke hearts are just as easy to purchase as the marinated variety and that means you can just . . . marinate them yourself! This way, you control the flavors and ingredients, the level of acidity, the saltiness, the everything. I like mine to taste like they’ve been bathing in Italian dressing from a bottle with Paul Newman’s face on it, with lots of fresh oregano and thinly sliced shallot. Feel free to customize the marinade with various herbs and alliums, adding more or less vinegar depending on your preference, but I would not advise skipping the lemon because I feel that you’d really miss it.

I will happily eat these all on their own, pierced with a tiny fork or toothpick in between bites of hard, salty cheese or maybe very thin slices of cured meat, but they also make an excellent topper for long, thin crackers like carta di musica or thick pieces of toast smeared with a creamy cheese. You can also set them out as part of your not-crudité platter; anything goes!

YIELD — 6–8 servings

 

Ingredients

  • 1⁄2 cup olive oil

  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano

  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed

  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 (14–ounce) cans artichoke hearts in water, drained, halved or quartered 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 1⁄2 cup fresh mint or parsley leaves

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil, oregano, lemon slices, and shallot in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the shallot and lemon start to sizzle and brown a bit, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

2. Place the artichoke hearts in a medium bowl and pour the oil mixture on top, followed by the vinegar. Season again with salt and pepper and let sit at least 30 minutes.

3. Just before serving, transfer to a serving dish or bowl and scatter with the mint.

DO AHEAD: Artichoke hearts can be marinated for up to 2 weeks ahead (without the herbs), tightly sealed, and stored in the refrigerator.


snacksAlison RomanComment