Grilled Artichoke with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Ingredients

• 4 artichokes
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 c your favorite mayonnaise (jarred or homemade)

Instructions

1. To prepare the artichokes, pull off the tough outer leaves–when leaves begin snapping off easily, they’re ready. Trim off the sharp, pointy tops and discard. Bring a large, salted pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, zest the lemon and set aside zest. Squeeze the lemon into the water, toss in the halves and add the whole artichokes. Finish bringing to a boil, then lower to a lively simmer.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine lemon zest, olive oil, minced garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper. Reserve 1 Tbs.
3. After about 10-12 minutes, check for doneness by pulling on one of the artichoke’s outer leaves–if it comes off easily, they are done. Remove artichokes to a plate with a slotted spoon and allow to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, cut artichokes in half lengthwise.  Use a small spoon to scoop out the hairy “choke” from the heart and discard.
4. Place artichoke halves in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil mixture, tossing and gently massaging to get some of the marinade between the leaves. Heat a grill pan or charcoal grill to medium-hot.
5. Place the artichokes on the grate or in the pan, and cook until grill marks appear, flipping and cooking both sides. As they cook, combine the reserved 1 Tbs olive oil mixture with the mayonnaise. Remove artichokes to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature with aioli for dipping.