Meaty suggestions needed...

April 26, 2008 12:01 PM

Can you recommend a protein to serve with baked artichokes with gorgonzola?

I'll be making this baked artichoke recipe and am at a loss for what to serve with it. I don't do artichokes that often, but this looks yummy. Any suggestions or specific recipes for a protein to include on the plate?

posted by Asherah to food & drink (11 comments total)

Seems like that's begging for some prosciutto, arranged garnish-style... yummy!
posted by YamwotIam at 12:05 PM on April 26, 2008

this time of year, lamb would be great. grilled with a little lemon and rosemary...mmm
posted by thinkingwoman at 12:08 PM on April 26, 2008

I'd go with a simpler protein because you're working with such strong flavors. Prosciutto, IMHO, might be a little to strong and mess up the balance of power. How about simple, roasted chicken (first link in the post)? Doing this well is a feat in itself, and, if you're having guests over, it nicely straddles the fence between humble, rustic cuisine and impressive culinary accomplishment.
posted by farishta at 12:34 PM on April 26, 2008

Last week, I had an awesome medium-rare lean skirt steak with chimichurri and roasted artichoke. The baked artichoke in the recipe looks very moist and rich so I think any type of seared/grilled/roasted lean dark meat would work well.
posted by junesix at 12:36 PM on April 26, 2008

Salmon, maybe brushed with a bit of olive oil, lemon, and dijon and left a smidge medium/medium rare in the middle or, as farishta said, roast chicken, the ultimate protein for any complicated side dish.
posted by mostlymartha at 1:24 PM on April 26, 2008

I think it would be hard to go wrong with any combination here, but the first thing that I thought of is salmon. If you really want to make the artichoke the star, a milder fish like tilapia.
posted by adamrice at 1:46 PM on April 26, 2008

Artichokes tend to sweeten up anything you eat/drink with them. I would suggest some kind of protein that would withstand that.

That should definitely limit your options rather than "any protein".

I probably wouldn't recommend red meat. Maybe some kind of sweeter seafood.

Good luck.
posted by hal_c_on at 2:43 PM on April 26, 2008

Pan-seared pork chops.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:54 PM on April 26, 2008

This is one heck of a side dish, Asherah. If ONLY I knew someone who was going to serve this to me. I would serve this with a simple steak, maybe topped with a pat of herb butter, if that. The artichoke is the star here, but it needs a strong enough counterpart to look and even feel well balanced on the plate. Color is a big part of that balancing act. A veal, lamb or pork chop, while all tasty, do not hold up to the vibrant green of that artichoke.
posted by LiveLurker at 6:48 PM on April 26, 2008 [2 favorites]

If you can get it fresh and local, this would be fantastic with steamed crab.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 8:11 PM on April 26, 2008

Sea food or lamb are going to be your best non-vegetarian bets. For seafood; I would go crab with clarified butter and a hint of dill and lemon, or pan seared salmon, also with butter and dill and lemon, but also consider basil and/or rosemary.

For the lamb, I would do a quick roasting, so as to keep the meat very rare; with a salt and rosemary rub.

That episode included a chicken recipe that I assume would blend well also.

From a vegetarian standpoint, consider that artichokes are actually a good source of protein, especially with the added cheese. Maybe consider making falafel balls/patties with tahini. The lemon of the tahini sauce and the spices in falafel would make a nice compliment taste wise, and texturally would add some interest as well. Also, plating presentation could be pretty.

If you're not opposed to tofu, you could do baked tofu "fingers" and a basil/balsamic drizzle. The innate mellow of tofu, tarted up a bit with the right breading and the drizzle would be a calming compliment to the strong flavors of the artichoke.

But heck, those artichokes look good enough to just have by themselves, so I'm sure anything you make will be fabulous. :)
posted by dejah420 at 10:33 PM on April 26, 2008