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grilled artichokes with lemon-basil aioli

Jennifer Fields
Grilled artichokes take a little prep time, but I promise you that it is totally worth every minute it takes because the result is a warm, seasoned artichoke with caramelized edges and crispy bits. Serve them hot off the grill with a delicious lemon-basil aioli dipping sauce and you will have the best side dish at the bbq!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
grilling time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

for the artichokes:

  • 2 lemons
  • 4 globe artichokes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

for the aioli:

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Instructions
 

for the artichokes:

  • Cut both lemons in half.  Squeeze the juice of the lemons into a large bowl, add the empty lemon halves to the bowl, and fill the bowl with cool water.  Set aside. 
    Working with one artichoke at a time, cut of the tips off of the leaves with kitchen scissors to remove the thorns. (This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke. But snipping them off will make the artichokes easier to handle.)
    Using a serrated knife, slice about 1 inch off the tip of the artichoke.  Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base of the artichoke and on the stem.  Trim the very end of the stem and discard.
    Cut the artichoke in half, placing both halves of the artichoke into the lemon water.  (This will help prevent the artichokes from turning dark brown as you continue to prep them for cooking.)
    Remove one half of an artichoke from the water and scoop out the fuzzy choke in the center of the artichoke with a spoon.  Discard the choke and return the artichoke to the lemon water. 
    Repeat these steps with the remaining artichokes.  
    Once all the artichokes have been trimmed and cleaned, place them cut-side-down into a steamer basket and steam them until a knife inserted into the heart comes out easily, about 7-10 minutes.
    Remove the artichokes from the steamer basket and allow them to cool.
    Heat your grill, or grill pan over high heat.  Drizzle the artichokes with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.  Add the artichokes to the heated grill, cut side down, and cook them until they are caramelized and have crispy edges, about 5-7 minutes.  
    Remove the artichokes from the grill, serve immediately with a side of lemon-basil aioli dipping sauce.

for the lemon-basil aioli:

  • Combine the garlic clove, mustard and egg yolks in a food processor and puree until combined, around 10 seconds.
    Slowly drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream into the running food processor.
    Stop the food processor once the oil has been thoroughly combined with the egg mixture. Add the lemon zest, salt, pepper and basil, then pulse until incorporated.
    Pour the aioli into a container with a lid. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to meld.

Notes

If you have any leftovers, these grilled artichokes make a great pizza topping, or add them to your next salad or sandwich. You could even pickle the grilled artichokes, make them into a delicious dip, or roughly chop them and add them to the top of your favorite hummus recipe!!
Keyword aoili, artichoke, basil, grilled, lemon