Baby Artichokes with Parmesan

This is a cute and very easy recipe. The baby artichokes are soft and delicate with just a little golden Parmesan bite and few parsley notes to keep everything interesting and delicious.
This dish is a fun alternative to the usual steamed globe artichokes or artichoke heart stews. The baby artichokes cook easily; are very tender and can be eaten whole, by just removing the stem and a couple of the outer leaves.

Serve it as a warm vegetable side dish to a grilled chicken or sausage, mushroom risotto…

Bon Appétit! 

Baby Artichokes with Parmesan

Adapted from Vegetables from an Italian Garden. Phaidon publishers.
Serves 4

Ingredients
Juice of 1 lemon
16 to 20 baby artichokes
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt
Black pepper

Directions
Prep all the ingredients.
You will need a big bowl, a large frying pan and an oven safe baking dish (or 4 small individual ones).

Pour room temperature water in a big glass bowl, until it reaches halfway. Add the lemon juice and stir.
Trim both ends of the baby artichokes and remove the 3 to 4 of the outer leaves and put in the big bowl of water and lemon juice. It will prevent them from browning while you are prepping the rest of the artichokes.

Once you are done, let it soak for 20 minutes. Drain the water and cut each baby artichoke in 4.
Heat the oven to 375F / 190C.

Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the baby artichokes slices with a pinch of salt (be careful not to add too much salt as the Parmesan cheese is already salty!) and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until tender.
Scoop the cooked baby artichokes in a baking dish, a oven proof skillet or in individual shallow ramequins. Sprinkle with the the Parmesan, parsley and a pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper.
Bake between 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve hot.