White Wine Artichoke Sauce

Do you know how to make artichokes? Like me, you might have tried and failed before but I finally figured out a great recipe for a sauce. I asked so many people, "how do you cook an artichoke?" It seems a lot of people have never made artichokes before because I couldn't get any advice except online. My mission to make a delicious artichoke sauce started about twelve years ago when I ate at a local Cuban restaurant in Gulfport, FL. They had a dish with fish covered in Artichoke sauce and it is still one of the best dinners I have ever tasted. This is a white wine sauce that can be served over seafood, chicken, pasta or even vegetables.

 

Ingredients:

2 Artichokes (I used fresh but canned or frozen hearts might work)

2 sticks butter or equivalent amount of  EVOO

1 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic (I used powder but 4-5 crushed cloves would be easier)

3-5 ounces Drinking White Wine

1 Tbsp. Salt

2 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Rosemary

1 tsp. Pepper

2 Tbsp. Flour or 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch

1 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Savings: ?

I have only had this once and I have no idea how much it cost and it's not exactly the same. fresh artichokes are not cheap, so the canned or frozen will save a lot time and money but I haven't tried it yet.

 

 

 I bought two fresh artichokes and peeled and boiled the hearts for about 45 minutes. Then I pulled out the hearts to the side which is what you see above. It can be confusing but if you just follow any simple you tube videos of how to peel an artichoke and then boil it; it will be really easy to use the hearts because they are the super tender parts of the artichoke.

Once the artichoke hearts are ready to be boiled, season the water to make a artichoke stock for the sauce. Add half of the garlic and salt, then add the pepper, basil and rosemary. After the water comes to a boil add the hearts and reduce to a simmer for 30-45 minutes. If the hearts are already cooked, then ensure to use a really low simmer. Strain out the hearts and save 1 cup of the stock for the sauce and you can freeze if you want to save the rest of delicious stock.

Also, the leaves from the artichoke can be boiled with the hearts but they wont be tender enough for the sauce. You can still use them for other recipes later.

 Now melt the butter and add the rest of the garlic. Ensure the garlic does not burn by stirring frequently (don't walk away).

This is the stock. I added roughly Tbsp. of corn starch before hand to make sure it does not lump up in the hot pan.

This is how much white wine I used.The rest we drank with the dinner.

Add the rest of the salt, wine, artichoke hearts and the stock. Bring to a small boil and quickly reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce will quickly reduce so be careful not to let it burn on the bottom.
Once the sauce is getting the consistency you are looking for, season to taste. If the flavor is too strong of wine, oil, salt or butter simply add a couple Tbsp. of water until the sauce has a milder taste. Although, a white wine sauce should be pretty strong since only a few spoonful's are needed for one serving over your fish, chicken or vegetables.

 I used wild Sockeye Salmon and Tilapia with linguine. I garnished with freshly grated Romano cheese and diced tomatoes.