Grilled Artichokes And Garlic-Parmesan Aioli Recipe

Artichokes are a delicious vegetable (well, thistle plant) with a particularly summery flair, though due to their pointy leaves and somewhat confusing shape, many people shy away from enjoying them. Luckily, thanks to this grilled artichokes recipe — courtesy of developer Feta Topalu — it's never been easier to enjoy the vegetable, and with an irresistible garlic-Parmesan aioli at that. 

"My favorite thing about this recipe is that I get to dip these little artichoke pieces into something that's tangy, creamy, and garlicky," Topalu says. She also adds that "The warm summer season is the best time to enjoy grilled artichokes," so if you want to make the most of a backyard barbecue, consider throwing artichokes into the mix.

The beauty of this recipe comes from its simplicity — you'll start by boiling the artichokes, then you'll halve them and grill them to perfection. Despite their odd shape and pointy exterior, it really is incredibly easy to enjoy artichokes with little to no fuss. Give that go-to side salad or roasted broccoli a break and allow these grilled artichokes and aioli to be the star duo of your next dinner table.

This recipe essentially breaks down into two components — there's the artichokes themselves, and then there's the aioli. For the former, you'll need four large artichokes, olive oil, kosher salt, and some black pepper. As for the aioli, you'll need mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and a bit of cayenne pepper for a little kick of heat.

Making the garlic-Parmesan aioli is as easy as mixing the ingredients in a bowl, so get that going before you cook the chokes — that way, it'll be nice and chilled when it comes time to serve. Grab a small bowl and mix together the mayo, minced garlic, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, and Dijon, along with some kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Then, pop the sauce into the fridge until you're ready to serve.

Before you grill the artichokes, you'll boil them — but before you do that, you may want to optionally give them a quick trim. "The artichokes can be trimmed before being cooked, but is not necessary," Topalu explains. "It's more or so a preference thing." She notes that the artichokes will cook just fine without trimming, but if there are any particularly sharp leaves or edges, you may want to cut those off. As a final tip, Topalu suggests removing "any loose leaves around the stem so that they do not catch on fire when grilling."

Now, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add in the artichokes. Cover the pot and allow the chokes to boil for 20 minutes, and, depending on the size of your pot, you may have to do this in batches. Once they're done, place the artichokes on a plate and drain the water. Let them cool enough to handle then slice them in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the hairy choke from the center of each half. Finally, drizzle the halved artichokes with olive oil and sprinkle on the salt and pepper. 

Get your grill preheating to medium-high, and once hot, place the halved artichokes on it, cut-side down. Allow them to grill on one side for an initial 5 to 7 minutes, until golden and charred, then flip them over and grill for another 5 minutes. By the time they're done grilling, they should be browned and plenty tender. 

Grab that aioli from the fridge and get to enjoying these grilled artichokes, ideally when they're fresh off of the grill. And, while these artichokes make for a great snack on their own, you may be so inclined to serve them as a side dish with other summery favorites. As Topalu suggests, "If you're grilling poultry, steak, sausages, or kebabs, simply boil and throw a few artichokes on the grill alongside to serve them as a side!"