Boiled Artichoke with Spiced Labneh

A special afternoon snack or appetizer for a group OR an excellent dinner for one! These big artichokes were screaming for a cool, rich condiment to dip into and we did just that. The White Moustache Labneh is the perfect canvas for any Burlap & Barrel spices you have sitting in your cupboard, but these below are the ones that we reached for this week. The controne pepper packs a punch, so if you can’t handle the heat maybe do half or omit it from this recipe. If you want to prep before it’s time to cook, hold the trimmed artichoke in a bowl of water with lemon to prevent it from browning. 

Ingredients:

1 - 1# Artichoke

2 cups white cooking wine

Kosher salt

Few Sprigs Thyme

1 cup White Moustache Labneh

1 ½  tsp Burlap & Barrel Turkish Oregano Buds, ground

¼ tsp Controne Pepper

½ tsp Burlap & Barrel Purple Stripe Garlic

½ tsp Burlap & Barrel Sweet Pepper Paprika

2 tsp Kosher Salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

For the Artichoke:

Place 3 quarts of water with 2 cups of white wine in a pot large enough to fit the artichoke. Bring liquid to a boil and add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Using a peeler, trim the fibrous layer off the stem of the artichoke. Cut about an inch off the top opening of the artichoke (I suggest using a serrated knife for this.) Drop artichoke into the pot of boiling water and place a lid one size smaller than the pot on top to keep the artichoke submerged. Cook for about 25-35 minutes, or until the center is soft when pierced with a small sharp knife and the outer leaves are easily peeled off. When artichoke is cooked, remove it from the pot and allow to drain and cool in a colander. Once it is cool enough to handle, loosen up the leaves and fan out a bit. For serving, take a spoon and delicately remove the hairy choke, being careful not to remove any of the precious heart.

For the Spiced Labneh:

Mix all ingredients except ½ tsp of oregano buds and EVOO in a small bowl until completely incorporated. Spoon into a bowl or plate and top with the last bit of oregano and a drizzle of EVOO. (this can be made a couple of hours ahead of time to let the flavors really mingle)