Southern Artichoke Dip

Preparation

Using a cutting board and a serrated knife, carefully cut the top 2 inches off of the artichokes, to remove the stiff tips of the leaves, and discard. Remove 1 inch from the stem ends. Then place the artichokes in a pot, and squeeze the lemon half over them. Drop the squeezed lemon into the pot as well. Cover the artichokes with water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil; then add enough kosher salt to make the water pleasantly salty. Use a plate to weight down the artichokes. Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily into the stems. Remove the pot from the heat, and transfer the artichokes to a plate, reserving the cooking liquid. Chill the artichokes in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

When the artichokes are cool, remove their tough outer leaves until you encounter the pale, tender leaves. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully whittle down the fibrous outer layer of the stems, leaving the tender inner stems intact.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare an ice bath and set it near the stove.

Cut each artichoke into quarters from top to bottom. Using a spoon, scoop out the thistly part of the heart—the fuzzy part that protects the best eating of all, the choke. Chop the cleaned artichoke quarters into small pieces and set aside.

Bring the reserved cooking water to a vigorous boil, add the kale, and blanch for 1 minute. Drain the kale, shock it in the ice water, and then squeeze out the excess water. Place the kale in a clean dish towel and ring out even more of the water.

In a large bowl, combine the blanched kale with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, mayonnaise, crème fraîche, lemon zest, thyme, parsley, scallions, hot sauce, and chopped artichoke quarters. Season to taste with kosher salt, and place the mixture in a medium-size baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and just browning on top.

Serve with the toasted baguette slices.

Reprinted from The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits, by Hugh Acheson. Published by Clarkson Potter.