Artichoke rolls

October 12, 2023

   

I'm predicting that this meal will be on repeat all summer! It's a simple, veg*n riff on the lobster rolls made across the north-east of the USA, contributed by Hetty Lui McKinnon to ABC Everyday. I've never tried or been particularly interested in eating lobster, but these lightly dressed artichoke hearts are right up my alley.

It's a recipe that's easy to shop for, fast to prepare, and just begging to be doubled. I ate my first roll for lunch, then went back to the supermarket in the afternoon for a second can of artichokes because I still had enough left over of all the other ingredients and I wanted to make sure that Michael could enjoy a couple of rolls too. My first batch of artichokes were a bit watery, so I was careful to squeeze some water out of the second batch and I've added that note to the recipe below.

McKinnon insists that the rolls should be toasted with margarine/butter. I went through the motions with my first one for the photo above (popping my roll under the grill instead of a frypan), expecting that I would skip the step with subsequent rolls. McKinnon is absolutely right - getting that bit of crispness and toastiness into an otherwise quite light and soft dish is worth the small extra effort. It's also a welcome bit of heat, given that the artichokes aren't cooked at all.

I feel compelled, then, to echo McKinnon's other suggestions. She reckons that you could mix some mashed chickpeas or dice avocado into the filling - both lovely ideas!

Artichoke rolls

(slightly adapted from a recipe by Hetty Lui McKinnon on ABC Everyday)

400g can artichoke hearts

1 stalk celery

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I tried Hellmann's vegan and like it a lot!)

1/4 cup dill, chopped

1-2 tablespoons chives, chopped

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper

4 soft long buns

2 tablespoons margarine

1 lemon, cut in wedges to serve

potato chips, to serve (I chose salt & vinegar)

Drain and rinse the artichoke hearts. Slice them into quarters and set them aside.

Finely dice the celery and drop it into a small-medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise, dill, chives, paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir everything together until well mixed. Gently squeeze any excess water out of the artichokes and add them to the mayonnaise mixture, folding them through until evenly coated but still holding together. 

Slice the buns lengthways in half and lightly spread the cut surfaces with margarine. Place the rolls cut-side-up under a grill until lightly toasted and smelling good. When they're ready, spoon the artichoke mixture onto the buns. Serve them with lemon wedges and potato chips on the side.