Artichokes in Olive Oil with Orange

I feel sorry for my younger self, who refused artichokes because of their tough fibers, the “beard” as we call it in Turkish. They are one of the most refreshing, cleansing vegetables there is.

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These days I eat plenty of them and I try to pick the best. In Türkiye, artichokes are mostly peeled down to the heart and cooked in olive oil, while around the Mediterranean you often see whole artichokes stuffed, grilled or cooked with meat.

So what are the main varieties in Türkiye?

– Cyprus artichoke: the one with the biggest heart. Large and flavorless. If you’ve ever eaten an artichoke that was bland or full of beard, chances are it came from a Cyprus seedling 🙂

– Bayrampaşa artichoke: the old Bayrampaşa district of Istanbul was full of artichoke gardens; it is even believed that the first artichoke seedlings in these lands were grown there in Ottoman times. Most canned artichokes are made from this variety. Its heart is bigger than the Izmir artichoke’s, yet unlike the Izmir one it stays tasty even when large.

– Izmir artichoke: also called the sakız (mastic) artichoke. Grown in the gardens of Balçova, Mordoğan, Çeşme and Karaburun around Izmir, it is the king of artichokes. Small but full of flavor, and my favorite. On the Aegean coast it is often cooked without stripping the thick outer leaves; you pull each leaf through your teeth and scrape off the flesh. A feast.

Four things to know so you don’t ruin an artichoke

1. Make friends with the artichoke seller at the market 🙂 They’ll give you the really good ones. I buy mine on Saturdays at the Beşiktaş market.
2. Once peeled, rub artichokes with lemon or keep them in lemony water so they don’t turn black.
3. Peeled, packed artichokes from the market should be eaten within 3–4 days.
4. They keep for a year in the freezer, submerged in water.

And now the recipe I promised in the title.

This one comes from my mother. If you’re wondering why there are no carrots or potatoes: both are high on the glycemic index, which means they raise blood sugar, so I leave them out. I didn’t use broad beans here either; that version deserves its own recipe.

Recipe

Artichokes in Olive Oil with Orange

• Prep15 min
• Cook40 min

Ingredients

• 4 Urla (sakız) artichoke hearts, cleaned
• 1½ medium onions, quartered
• 150 g shelled or frozen peas
• 1 cup (250 ml) orange juice, freshly squeezed and strained if possible (100% juice from a carton also works)
• 1 cup (250 ml) olive oil
• 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sugar cubes
• ½ lemon

Method

1. Rub the artichokes with lemon, or keep them in lemony water, so they don’t darken.
2. Arrange the four artichokes in a pot where they fit in one layer without overlapping, and add the onion on top.
3. Add the peas, orange juice, olive oil, water, salt and sugar, in that order.
4. Cook for 10 minutes over high heat, then 30 minutes over low heat. I like to serve it cold.

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