Filed under: Cook, Eat | Tags: artichoke, Cannes, carpaccio, Pastis, recipes, vegetarian
As a New Yorker, I should probably be familiar with Meatpacking brunch mecca Pastis, right across from the Gansevoort. I’ve never been there.
But I did have an opportunity to dine at the Pastis (who knew it was a chain?) on the Rue Commandant Andre in Cannes, just north of the Croisette, and I had an epiphany. An artichoke epiphany.
One of the featured starters is an artichoke carpaccio. So simple, and so elegant. Hearts of artichoke are thinly sliced and scattered about a plate, drizzled lightly with good olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and generously topped with paper-thin slices of aged parmesan.
Golden Globe Artichokes. Photo credit: Seedfest.co.uk
Heaven! Would be absolutely perfect for a summer dinner party out on a patio or rooftop somewhere. I would recommend adding a little color with a parsley and tomato garnish, though both are really extraneous, or even coarsely chopped sundried tomatoes and basil. Capers would also add color and salt, but I am not a huge fan of capers, so I’d rather have a plain-looking artichoke carpaccio. If you are an unapologetic carnivore and you must have meat in every dish you eat, artichoke carpaccio is also often served with beef or tuna carpaccio. The dish can be made uber-luxe with some caviar or truffle oil, or it can be enjoyed in its glorious simplicity.
If you’re using a fresh artichoke, make sure to have several on hand as each heart only has so much meat in it. I actually have no idea how to prepare a fresh artichoke, so this is going to be my next project when I get home. I confess, I use artichoke hearts from a jar whenever a recipe calls for artichoke. In my defense, I don’t think I’m the first cook to be intimidated by the spiny, many-layered flower/vegetable. After reading about artichokes for the last hour or so, though, I’m feeling pretty brave. I’m going to cook a few whole and eat the leaves with a lemon Kewpie mayo based dip, then use the hearts the next day for the carpaccio! Maybe one day I’ll even get to be as advanced as the folks over at The Artichoke Blog.
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eat. shop. love. nyc. 
dang nice info dude.
Comment by limewire April 30, 2010 @ 9:43 am