Oven Baked Artichokes

An online recipe with instructions for making Oven Baked Artichokes. Steaming is the most common way to cook an artichoke but it is also possible, and sometimes easier, to bake an artichoke double-wrapped in heavy duty foil and seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and your favorite herbs.

Ingredients

- 2 large artichokes, cleaned and trimmed
- 1 whole lemon, cut in half
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt to taste
- herbs to taste (optional)
- 4 sheets of heavy duty foil wrap

Dipping Sauce Suggestions:
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice
- melted butter
- French hollandaise sauce
- Italian seasoned tomato sauce
- dip made with sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

After the artichokes have been washed and trimmed, squeeze half a lemon over the top of each artichoke, making sure to coat all of the exposed cuts, so they won't turn brown.

Sprinkle the tops of the artichokes with two tablespoons of olive oil, making sure the excess oil drips between the artichoke leaves, instead of outside the artichoke.

Tuck the sliced garlic pieces in between the leaves of the artichoke and sprinkle the artichoke with salt and the remaining olive oil.

If you are using herbs such as rosemary or sage, finely chop them and and sprinkle them over the tops of the artichokes.

Double wrap each srtichoke with layers of heavy duty foil (use two pieces of foil per artichoke). Seal the foil packets by twisting and pinching their tops.

Bake large artichokes about 1 hour and 20 minutes and bake medium artichokes about 1 hour only.

Remove artichokes from oven. When cool enough to handle , unwrap artichokes and serve with additional lemon juice squeezed over the top or serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

OPTIONAL SERVING IDEA:
After baking the artichokes, scoop out the fuzzy centers and refill the center with your favorite dipping sauce.