Artichokes and Saffron Aioli

The last couple of weeks, Ann has been hinting that she wanted some artichokes, so I got some and planned to simply boil them and serve them with saffron aioli.

Artichokes Require High Acid White Wines

Artichokes are one of my favorite foods and wine is one of my favorite beverages. Mixing the two requires a little caution because artichokes contain an ester called cynarine which makes pretty much everything taste sweet. The only way to go with artichokes is to pick a really high acid white such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Chablis, or Champagne. I chose a new high acid 2014 Pinot Blanc from the Willamette Valley to go with ours. The artichokes will bring the high acid back to the center of the palate.

Saffron Aioli; Boiled Artichoke

I haven't had boiled artichokes since I was a kid. There is something fun, though not terribly rewarding, about scraping the little bit of edible artichoke off of each of the petals, finally making your way to the choke and the edible heart beneath. Honestly, I'd rather have the artichokes grilled or shaved raw onto risotto or something like that, but that was way too much work for my day off.