Artichokes in Olive Oil
Tender artichoke bottoms filled with carrot, potato and peas in lemon and olive oil.
The Turkish pantry
Artichoke bottoms
The broad, tender base of an artichoke makes a natural cup for peas, carrots and potatoes. Buy fresh trimmed bottoms with the tough leaves and fuzzy choke removed, then cook gently until a knife enters the flesh easily.
Last updated:
Fresh trimmed artichoke bottoms, not whole artichokes, leaf tips or marinated jarred hearts.
Types & forms
Fresh bottoms
The fleshy base, cleaned of tough leaves and the fuzzy center; check the underside for remaining fibrous patches.
Preserved hearts
Canned, brined or oil-marinated pieces have different acidity, salt and texture. They are not the fresh ingredient specified here.
What to look for when buying
- Choose firm, moist-looking flesh without slime or a sour smell. Slight surface browning is different from decay, but avoid deeply damaged pieces.
- Ask whether the bottoms are fresh or thawed and whether they have already been held in an acidulated liquid.
Prepare & cook
- Rinse under running water and inspect the center for any remaining fuzzy choke. Trim tough edges rather than cutting away the whole tender base.
- Keep the pieces a similar thickness and arrange in one layer where possible. Cook to tenderness, checking with a knife instead of relying on size alone.
Store it well
- Refrigerate trimmed bottoms promptly in a covered food container and use while fresh. Follow any preparation or use-by instructions supplied by the seller.
- Cool the cooked dish in shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Frozen plain artichoke bottoms
Can be useful if a recipe is adapted to the package instructions; their cooking time may differ.
Marinated artichokes
Oil, vinegar and seasoning change the dish, so they are not a neutral replacement.
Nutrition
No verified nutrition data is available for this ingredient.
At the Turkish table
Zeytinyağlı enginar uses the artichoke base as the center of an olive-oil vegetable dish. The linked recipe is an Aegean-style preparation, not a claim that every artichoke dish has one origin.
Cook with Artichoke bottoms