Artichoke Fritters with Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

From the kitchen of Carly

Crispy artichoke fritters meet a silky green goddess sauce spiked with anchovies and fresh herbs. The beer batter keeps these golden and light, while the creamy dipping sauce does all the heavy lifting. Pure comfort that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.

Artichoke Fritters with Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

Crispy, lacy fritters built on tender braised artichoke hearts are the kind of appetizer that makes people ask for the recipe before they swallow. The secret is the beer batter, which adds tang and keeps things light as air. Pair them with a bright green goddess sauce spiked with anchovies for umami depth, and you've got a vegetable appetizer that feels fancy without the fuss.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1/4 cupchopped fresh chives
  • 1/4 cupchopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 2anchovy fillets
  • 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar with tarragon
  • 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cupcrème fraîche or sour cream
  • 1 cupplus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tspsalt
  • 3/4 cuplager beer, room temperature
  • 2 largeeggs, separated
  • 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tbspfresh lemon juice, divided
  • 1 1/2 tspfinely grated lemon peel
  • 6 largeartichokes
  • 1Canola oil
  • 2 tbspchopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1Lemon wedges

Instructions

  1. Put the chives, parsley, anchovy fillets, and tarragon white wine vinegar into a food processor and blend until finely chopped. With the machine still running, stream the olive oil through the feed tube and puree until the mixture is nearly smooth. Add the crème fraîche and process until the sauce comes together completely. Scrape it into a small bowl, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately, up to 1 day ahead; give it a good whisk before serving.

  2. Sift the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl, then make a well in the center. Into that well, add the beer, egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the lemon peel. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, then whisk it again before moving on.

  3. Fill a large bowl with water and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Working one artichoke at a time, use a large knife to cut off the top half, then trim the stem to about 3/4 inch. Pull away the tough outer leaves until only 2 rows of tender green leaves remain at the center. Peel the stem with a vegetable peeler, then cut the artichoke lengthwise in half. Use a paring knife to carve out and discard the prickly choke, then slice the artichoke lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and drop them straight into the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining 5 artichokes. Drain them, then warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the artichokes and 1/2 cup of tap water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the artichokes are tender and the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let everything cool; this can be done up to 2 hours ahead if you cover and chill them.

  4. Line a large baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then fold them gently into the batter. Once incorporated, fold the cooked artichokes in as well.

  5. Pour enough canola oil into a large saucepan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side and heat the oil to 375°F. Working in batches, drop the artichoke mixture by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry, turning often, until golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon and set them on the paper towel-lined baking sheet; season immediately with salt. Arrange the fritters on a platter, scatter the parsley over the top, tuck lemon wedges around the edges, and serve with the green goddess sauce on the side.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Beer batter needs time: let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour so the flour fully hydrates and the bubbles develop. This creates the signature lacy crust, not a dense coat.
  • Prep and braise your artichokes ahead (up to 2 hours), which cuts down on day-of work and gives you a window to cook them gently without any rush.
  • Separate your eggs right before you fry. Whip the whites to soft peaks and fold them in gently as the last step, right before battering. This is what gives you that shatteringly light, crisp exterior.

Variations

  • No anchovies? Swap in a teaspoon of miso paste for the same savory punch without the fish.
  • Serve the fritters warm with a simple aioli or yogurt-dill mixture if green goddess feels like too much.
  • Halve the artichokes instead of slicing them lengthwise and fry them whole for a more dramatic, knife and fork appetizer.
  • Crimp the fritters in a food processor with roasted chickpeas and serve them as a salad topper for substance and textural contrast.

Make ahead and storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes to restore the crispness. The sauce keeps for 3 days, covered.