Artichoke Tart

A lot of people want to buy artichokes and don't know what to make with them. Today I want to show you the best way to eat and prepare artichokes. Learn how to make a simple Provencal artichoke and goat cheese tarte tatin.

This is my wife Lisa's favorite dish of all time. I owe my marriage and consequently my son to the merits of my artichoke tart. I originally developed the recipe while I was the Chef at Pili Pili restaurant in Chicago. One evening, my future wife came in for dinner with her family. She fell in love with my artichokes - I fell in love with her. And the rest is history.

watch my video recipe here.

Artichoke Tarte Tatin

A savory vegetable tart perfect for lunch.

For the Artichokes

• 1/2 lemon slices

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 2 quarts water

• pinch salt

• pinch herbes de Provence

• 4 large artichokes

For the tart

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 onion sliced thinly

• 1 fennel bulb sliced thinly

• 1 sweet pepper sliced thinly

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

• 12-inch circle of puff pastry

• 3 ounces of fresh goat cheese

• 1 cup of tapenade - see my recipe here

1. For the Artichokes, put the lemon, oil, water, salt, and herbs into a Dutch oven. Hold the artichoke on the cutting board and cut the stem off at the base of the artichoke. Use a razor-sharp paring knife to trim away the dark green exterior leaves around the base of the artichoke. Keep rotating the artichoke and trimming as if you are peeling an apple. Stop when you see the white of the bottoms. Cut across the top of the artichoke at the point where the leaves begin to turn pale, just above the bottom. This will be about an inch up from the base. Using a small spoon, scoop out the choke and discard. It is probably easier if you watch the video.

2. Put the artichoke bottoms into the pot and bring to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. Lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. You can check by inserting a paring knife into the base. It should go in easily. Drain the artichokes and refrigerate until cool.

3. For the Tart, heat the oil in a Dutch oven until hot and cook the onions, fennel, and peppers until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. And the garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the vegetables from the pan and let cool. Everything can be prepared up to this point the day before.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

5. Line the bottom of a 12-inch skillet with a circle of oiled parchment paper. Slice each artichoke thinly, about 1/8th of an inch thick. Lay the artichoke slices in a concentric circle on the bottom of the skillet. Top with the vegetables and then pieces of cheese. Top with the dough, tucking the excess neatly around the artichokes.

6. Bake on the bottom shelf of your oven for 20 minutes then move to the top shelf and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Flip the tarte over onto a serving plate, and serve immediately. I like to serve with tapenade on the side.