Artichoke and Orange Salad with Saffron and Mint
Artichokes, one of my favorite vegetable, are edible thistles that were prized by the ancient Romans as food of the nobility. They have been a springtime food in the Mediterranean for thousands of years and particularly loved by Jews. Usually the French serve artichokes as a cold salad appetizer with a vinaigrette. Although I have seen this recipe in many Jewish cookbooks from North Africa, I hadn’t tasted it until Paula Wolfert cooked it for me on my PBS show, Jewish Cooking in America. It was a merveille, as my French friends would say. In the years since, I have eaten many different versions of this salad. Céline Bénitah, who lives in Annecy but came from Berkane, on the Algerian border of Morocco, said that all North African Jews who grew up in this orange- growing region have their own versions of this recipe. Hers includes saffron. Of course, this salad tastes best when fresh artichokes are used, but frozen artichoke hearts or bottoms work as well.
Recipe information
Yield
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
If using fresh artichokes, pour about 4 cups water and the juice of half a lemon into a large bowl. Break off the outer leaves of the artichokes, leaving only the tender inner ones. Trim off the tips and the rough parts of the stems, and drop the artichokes into the acidulated water.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, and cook the garlic for about a minute, or until fragrant. Stir in the remaining lemon juice, 1 cup of the orange juice, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring the liquid to a boil, and add the artichokes. Reduce the heat to low, and cook the artichokes, covered, for about 10 minutes for frozen hearts and 20 minutes for fresh, or until tender. Remove the artichokes with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, reserving the cooking liquid.
Step 3
While the artichokes are cooking, section the oranges by cutting off the skin and white pith and cutting in between the white membranes. Put the orange segments in a small skillet with the remaining 1/2 cup orange juice, the sugar, and the saffron. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the glazed orange segments to the serving dish. Reduce the liquid in the pan until syrupy, about 5 more minutes.
Step 4
Pour the artichoke-cooking juices into the syrup skillet. Reduce over high heat to a few tablespoons, adjust the seasonings, and drizzle over the artichokes and oranges. Cool to room temperature. Just before serving, garnish with the cilantro and mint.
