A Dish of Artichokes

Description

While Artichokes have a fairly strong vegetal taste that pairs well with butter, in modern cooking we seldom see them put up against stronger flavors. That is not the case in this recipe, which uses robust spices and Beef Marrow to create a rich, almost decadent vegetable side by modern reckoning. The original recipe calls for "sweet broth" which I take to mean fresh meat broth, and since Marrow is already called for, I chose commercially available Beef Broth. Personally, I make mine using Better Than Bouillon and am never disappointed. Another point for interpretation is the direction to "seethe" the artichoke hearts with the spices after removing them from the pot. In period cooking, "seethe" often means to boil, however by the beginning of the 17th century, it also has the more general meaning to agitate - akin to how we use it today. I take this to mean tossing the hearts with the spices as it makes some sense etymologically, and entire sense culinarily.

The Artichoke Hearts can be purchased from local specialty markets - mine came from Trader Joe's - but you could of course start with fresh artichokes as the author surely did. The downside to using the frozen hearts is the lack of the artichoke leaves to garnish the dish as the author instructs. When preparing a feast for 80, I take whatever harmless shortcuts I can. The Bone Marrow should be readily available from a local butcher in the form of marrow bones, though you may need to call ahead. They are typically most available on slaughter days and may sell out quickly. This recipe calls for raw Marrow which is then cooked in the recipe. While you may be more used to seeing it already roasted in the bone, you'll find that you can easily scoop it out while still raw. You will want to soak the marrow in plenty of clean, salted water for about an hour before using it to help draw out some of the less agreeable flavors. If you wanted to make this dish Vegetarian friendly, Butter is a fine substitute for the Bone Marrow.