Tender artichokes develop smoky edges on the grill and are served with warm bagna cauda: a rich sauce made with anchovies, garlic, olive oil and butter. Crispy breadcrumbs with parsley finish the dish.
Artichokes take a little preparation, but their flavour and firm, tender leaves make them good for more than dipping. In the Netherlands, fresh artichokes are usually widely available in spring and early summer; availability can vary by shop and season. Choose ones that feel heavy and have tightly closed leaves. A few small blemishes on the outer leaves are no problem, since you’ll remove them anyway. Allow one medium artichoke per person as an antipasto.
To prepare them, cut off the top and the hard end of the stem, then pull away the tough outer leaves. Adding a halved lemon to the cooking water helps limit discolouration. First boil the halved artichokes until just tender: this softens the hearts before the cut sides brown on the grill. Cooking time depends on their size; the tip of a knife should slide into the base of the stem without much resistance. Larger artichokes may also have a fibrous choke in the middle. After cooking, scoop it out with a teaspoon.
Bagna cauda literally means ‘warm sauce’ and is associated with Piedmont in northern Italy. Anchovies and garlic give the sauce its pronounced savoury flavour; olive oil and butter make it smooth and spoonable. Cook the garlic gently without letting it brown: browned garlic can taste bitter and overpower the sauce. Use a small saucepan over low heat and keep the sauce warm without letting it boil vigorously. Since anchovies are already salty, taste at the end to see whether it needs any extra salt.
Pangrattato is toasted breadcrumbs that add a crispy contrast to the tender artichokes and rich sauce. Stale bread works well; pulse it coarsely in a food processor or rub it by hand into uneven crumbs. A neutral olive oil is fine, but a fruity one adds extra flavour. No stale bread on hand? Use panko, though the crumbs will be lighter and less rustic. Parsley and lemon zest keep things fresh without masking the anchovies.
Serve the artichokes straight away, with the warm sauce alongside so everyone can dip or spoon it on as they like. They make a good antipasto with bread and a salad of bitter leaves, or can be part of a larger Italian meal. If you like, cook the artichokes earlier in the day, cool them quickly and store them covered in the fridge; grill them just before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and reheat them thoroughly. The pangrattato stays crispiest if you store it separately and add it at the last moment.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Halve one lemon and squeeze the juice into the water; add the squeezed halves as well as a generous pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, cut off the pointed top of the artichokes. Remove the tough outer leaves, cut off the hard ends of the stems and lightly peel the stems. Halve the artichokes lengthwise. If needed, remove the fibrous choke with a teaspoon.
Boil the artichokes for 12–18 minutes, depending on their size, until the base of the stem is easy to pierce with the tip of a knife. Drain and leave them cut-side down to steam dry.
To make the pangrattato, toast the breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Toss regularly until golden brown and crispy. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Put the garlic, anchovy fillets and 80 ml olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring until the garlic is soft and the anchovies have mostly broken down. Add the butter and stir until melted. Keep the sauce warm without letting it boil.
Heat a griddle pan or barbecue until very hot. Brush the cut sides of the artichokes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and grill them cut-side down for 3–4 minutes, until distinct brown grill marks appear. Turn them briefly and grill the other side for 1–2 minutes.
Grate the zest of the second lemon over the pangrattato. Taste the bagna cauda and add a little salt if needed. Serve the artichokes warm with the sauce and crispy breadcrumbs; cut the second lemon into wedges to serve alongside.
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