Egg-In-The-Choke

 Eggs. They aren't just for breakfast! 

I have a full blown obsession with eggs, so I'm thrilled that they have graduated from the breakfast table. Is it just me or are eggs everywhere these days? No complaints here! I baked these little beauties into artichokes stuffed with bread crumbs, parmesan, lemon and thyme for a fancy week-night appetizer. The result was crispy, yolky deliciousness. 

Shopping List:

2 artichokes

4 eggs

1 lemon

1/2 cup parmesan

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

fresh thyme

kosher salt

fresh pepper

olive oil

Buy the biggest artichokes you can find so you can carve out a nice home for the egg. Start by chopping the stems so they're about an inch long. Shave off the outside layer. 

Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

You want to remove the "choke," aka the furry beast in the center. Cut around the purple and white fur and leaves. Most of it will pop out. If you need to, use a spoon to scoop out the rest. 

Next, create an ice bath for your artichoke shells so they won't brown. Squeeze half of a lemon into a large bowl of ice water. Put your four artichoke shells face down in the bath. 

Combine the shaved parmesan and bread crumbs in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and the leaves of 2 sprigs of thyme. Squeeze the other half of the lemon into the dry mixture so it comes together. 

Dry the artichoke halves and line them up in a large baking dish. Sprinkle the parmesan bread crumb mixture inside the artichokes. Set a lemon slice and a few springs of thyme on each. 

Drizzle the artichokes with olive oil. Cover the dish in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. The aluminum must be secure so the artichokes can steam and get juicy!

Now for the main event! After the artichoke shells have cooled for a few minutes, crack the eggs in. Make sure the artichokes are level so the egg stays inside and doesn't topple into the dish. Add more of the parmesan bread crumb mixture if you like or sprinkle more salt and pepper on top. Bake the eggs for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. The egg whites should set, but still jiggle a bit when you pick up the artichoke. 

Dinner is served! I also made a pear, bell pepper, grilled chicken salad topped with feta, spiced pecans and Trader Joe's pear vinaigrette. But the egg-in-the-choke definitely steals the show. 

Happy dining!