CB at the Sizzle forum was asking someone to try and cold smoke artichokes. So I offered to try since I had a couple in the fridge and here are my posts from that forum...
Well I got home from work at 9:30pm and promptly grabbed the two chokes. I cut down the stem and then split them down the center. I fired up the Bradley smoke generator and loaded it with one hour worth of cherry bisquettes. Loaded the water tray with ice and cold smoked them for an hour. It is in the low 40s tonight so great weather for cold smoking. The chokes were still cold when I removed them from the Bradley cabinet and appeared to look the same as they went in. They did absorb the smoke though as they were very fragrant with cherry smoke. There was not enough time to cook them tonight so I will steam them tommorow for lunch and post the results ;)
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Ok so I was able to steam the chokes this morning for lunch before work. I added rosemary, basil, fennel seed, thyme, and hickory smoked salt to the water for steaming. I dropped in the steaming basket into the pot and then put the chokes in cut side up. They were steamed for 40 minutes and I made a dipping sauce using mayonnaise, garlic powder, and some chili powder. They were really good. You can see the steam brought out the smoke color in the choke :o There was just a hint of smoke flavor to the choke and a hour of cold smoke seems to be just about right ;D
(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/muebe/IMAG0663.jpg)(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/muebe/IMAG0664.jpg)(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/muebe/IMAG0665.jpg)(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/muebe/IMAG0666.jpg)(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/muebe/IMAG0667.jpg)(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/muebe/IMAG0668.jpg)
What the he!! is that? ;D ::)
Quote from: OU812 on March 08, 2011, 12:15:44 PM
What the he!! is that? ;D ::)
People actually eat them things on purpose?? Where's the Bacon? Something that nasty looking has to be wrapped in Bacon!!
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on March 09, 2011, 10:30:24 AM
Quote from: OU812 on March 08, 2011, 12:15:44 PM
What the he!! is that? ;D ::)
People actually eat them things on purpose?? Where's the Bacon? Something that nasty looking has to be wrapped in Bacon!!
Well it does have a heart ;) Maybe it is a "California" thing...we are a little weird out here :D
Quote from: muebe on March 09, 2011, 10:33:40 AM
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on March 09, 2011, 10:30:24 AM
Quote from: OU812 on March 08, 2011, 12:15:44 PM
What the he!! is that? ;D ::)
People actually eat them things on purpose?? Where's the Bacon? Something that nasty looking has to be wrapped in Bacon!!
Well it does have a heart ;) Maybe it is a "California" thing...we are a little weird out here :D
A Little Wierd??? Kinda stretching it there aint you?
What part of that thing do you eat? ;D
muebe - Ignore those provincial fools. Artichokes is good eats.
Provincial fools - Artichokes is good eats and you can do lots of bacon stuff with the hearts.
Quote from: Ka Honu on March 09, 2011, 11:40:30 AM
muebe - Ignore those provincial fools. Artichokes is good eats.
Provincial fools - Artichokes is good eats and you can do lots of bacon stuff with the hearts.
Now I get it it's Turtle Food!!
Quote from: Ka Honu on March 09, 2011, 11:40:30 AM
muebe - Ignore those provincial fools. Artichokes is good eats.
Provincial fools - Artichokes is good eats and you can do lots of bacon stuff with the hearts.
Ok can some one explain to this Provincial fool what is that thing and what is the heart cause this Provincial fool aint never seen or heard of those things.
Maybe this Provincial fool dont live were those things are sold.
Artichoke hearts come in jars (or sometimes cans) of brine here... Without the armor plating and prickly bits.
I've never ever seen a 'live' one in the store.
Muebe - We need to excuse some our bretheren who may live off the beaten path. Not too long ago, relatives of mine excitedly drug me to the market to show me this new exotic fruit they now had, called an 'alligator pear'. They had just been intorduced to avocados ;D
An artichoke is a big thistle; the ones we usually see are known as globe artichokes and originated in the Mediterranean area. Lots of them grown in California (Castroville bills itself as the artchoke center of the world).
You generally steam or boil them and serve whole (hot or cold). Peel the leaves, dip in melted butter, mayo, aioli, etc. and scrape the fleshy portion off the underside with your teeth. When you get to the center, you scrape out the "choke" (undeveloped leaves) and eat the "heart" or base.
As STC says, you can buy just the hearts packed in brine or oil. Costco usually sells artichokes 4 to a bag for about $6.
Ok so there a snack type thing?
What do you do with the heart?
Now I have seen avocados in the store, still dont know what there used for.
Also some of are land locked right dead center of the states and allot of things dont make it here.
OU812 - I guess you would call them an appetizer if you are doing the whole artichoke and peeling off the leaves and dipping them as our Hawaiian friend described. The ones in jars or cans are used a lot on salads and such. I'll admit, they are a bit too much work for me when you consider that you throw away about 90% of the whole ones. The heart just happens to be the 'meatiest' part of the plant.
We chop them up for salads and dips. Even put on an occasional Poppa Murphy's pizza..
Quote from: SoCalBuilder on March 09, 2011, 12:33:12 PM
Muebe - We need to excuse some our bretheren who may live off the beaten path. Not too long ago, relatives of mine excitedly drug me to the market to show me this new exotic fruit they now had, called an 'alligator pear'. They had just been intorduced to avocados ;D
SoCal, in Louisiana and parts South if you mention an alligator pear you are referring to a chayote or mirliton. ;)
Quote from: KyNola on March 09, 2011, 01:14:36 PM
Quote from: SoCalBuilder on March 09, 2011, 12:33:12 PM
Muebe - We need to excuse some our bretheren who may live off the beaten path. Not too long ago, relatives of mine excitedly drug me to the market to show me this new exotic fruit they now had, called an 'alligator pear'. They had just been intorduced to avocados ;D
SoCal, in Louisiana and parts South if you mention an alligator pear you are referring to a chayote or mirliton. ;)
Well there you go! I had to look up Mirliton. I learned something today... I think I'll take the rest of the day off now ;D Thanks!
I did not realize that artichokes would create such a controversy in the forum. They are so common in california that I just assumed everybody knew what they were :D
Muebe I was just funning with you. I know what they are My Ex made me eat them a couple of different ways and none of them involved Bacon. Now that other fella he's from way out in the cornfield he still don't know what they is.
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on March 09, 2011, 05:18:58 PM
Now that other fella he's from way out in the cornfield he still don't know what they is.
I do now, sorta. ::)
Quote from: SoCalBuilder on March 09, 2011, 01:20:35 PM
Quote from: KyNola on March 09, 2011, 01:14:36 PM
Quote from: SoCalBuilder on March 09, 2011, 12:33:12 PM
Muebe - We need to excuse some our bretheren who may live off the beaten path. Not too long ago, relatives of mine excitedly drug me to the market to show me this new exotic fruit they now had, called an 'alligator pear'. They had just been intorduced to avocados ;D
SoCal, in Louisiana and parts South if you mention an alligator pear you are referring to a chayote or mirliton. ;)
Well there you go! I had to look up Mirliton. I learned something today... I think I'll take the rest of the day off now ;D Thanks!
Anytime! :D Glad I could broaden your Southern CA horizon. ;) ;D
Quote from: KyNola on March 10, 2011, 07:26:51 AM
Quote from: SoCalBuilder on March 09, 2011, 01:20:35 PM
Quote from: KyNola on March 09, 2011, 01:14:36 PM
Quote from: SoCalBuilder on March 09, 2011, 12:33:12 PM
Muebe - We need to excuse some our bretheren who may live off the beaten path. Not too long ago, relatives of mine excitedly drug me to the market to show me this new exotic fruit they now had, called an 'alligator pear'. They had just been intorduced to avocados ;D
SoCal, in Louisiana and parts South if you mention an alligator pear you are referring to a chayote or mirliton. ;)
Well there you go! I had to look up Mirliton. I learned something today... I think I'll take the rest of the day off now ;D Thanks!
Anytime! :D Glad I could broaden your Southern CA horizon. ;) ;D
:D I thought Mirliton was the name of a town :D
I've made poached artichoke bottoms (poach in a flour/water/lemon juice mix) then top the cupped part with a duxelles and finish with a fresh Bearnaise sauce. I think the cold smoked artichoke bottom would go well with that. Might even top it with a quail egg sunny side up.
I'm planning on smoking some of these and then using them in a spinach, artichoke dip. I'll report back.
As I have posted before, a cooked artichoke heart topped with a mushroom duxelle, bernaise sauce and a poached quail egg is marvelous (Julia Child recipe). If you can get the really small French chokes, slice the uncooked hearts raw, paper thin and thin drizzle with lemon juice and varietal olive oil. Had that several times in Milano. Molto bene.