Braised Artichokes with Lemon-Caper Browned Butter

Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the tough outer leaves to expose the light-yellow cores. Using a knife, trim off the tops and slice each artichoke in half. Using a spoon, remove and discard the chokes. Pat the artichokes dry.

In a large, deep fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Place the artichoke halves cut-side down in the pan and cook until browned underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to crisp at the edges, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the wine, stock, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, salt and pepper. Return the artichokes to the pan, stem-side down, and bring to a simmer on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes until stems are tender. Transfer the artichokes to a plate and keep warm. Turn the heat back up to high and cook until braising liquid has thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of braising liquid and discard the rest. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, melt the butter over high heat. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat to medium and use a metal spoon to carefully skim the surface and remove any foam. Continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the butter develops a golden tan color. Strain the brown butter from the solids, if desired. Add the reserved braising sauce, capers and lemon juice, and whisk to combine.

Return the artichokes to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and parsley sprigs, if desired, and serve immediately. Serves 3 to 4.

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen