Caesar Steamed Artichokes

cafehailee.com
serves 2-4
Ingredients

2 large artichokes with hearty stems about 12-16 ounces each
5 anchovies
2 egg yolks
1 clove of garlic smashed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup olive oil*
¼ cup neutral oil canola, veggie, etc
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for drizzling
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
Flake salt for serving
Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation

Set up a steamer over medium heat.
While the steamer heats up, prep the artichokes. Remove any small leaves on the stem and at the base of the artichoke. Trim about 1 inch off the top of the artichoke using a serrated knife.
Using kitchen shears, cut the prickly top off each of the outer leaves.
Peel away the dark green tough outer layer of the stem with a vegetable peeler.
Cut the artichoke in half starting at the stem.
Place artichokes in the steamer and steam until very tender, 30-35 minutes. Check the steamer every now and then to make sure there is still enough water in it.
While the artichokes cook, add anchovies, egg yolks, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, Worcestershire, olive oil and neutral oil to a high-sided container. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and emulsified. Stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Once the artichokes are tender, remove them from the steamer. Carefully scoop out the fuzzy choke at the top of the heart and any prickly inner leaves. Discard.
Heat up a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and add in the artichokes cut side down (you may have to sear them in batches).
Sear until the artichokes are golden, about 3-5 minutes. Flip, add in the butter, and melt.
Baste the artichokes with the butter until the butter is slightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
Top the artichokes with flake salt and serve with the caesar on the side for dipping, and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Eat them by picking off the leaves and dipping them into the sauce. Use your teeth to scrape off the tender meat from the fibrous leaf. Discard the remainder of the leaf. Once you get to the inner leaves, they will be very tender and you can eat the entire leaf! Once you are through all the leaves, you will have made it to the heart, which is totally edible including the stem!