Fire-Charred Roman Artichokes with Sizzling Tatbilah and Brown Butter Tahini
When I close my eyes and think of the bustling markets in Tel Aviv mixed with the smoky energy of my early London restaurant days, dishes like this are born. These Fire-Charred Roman Artichokes are all about drama and contrast. I remember standing over an open grill late one night, experimenting with how to get that perfect smoky char on the tender leaves while keeping the heart meltingly soft. The secret here is roasting them first, then hitting them with high flame. Piling them over a velvety pool of nutty brown butter tahini was a game-changer in my kitchen—tahini truly belongs on everything, but browned butter takes it to another stratosphere. Crowned with a sizzling, Aleppo-spiced pistachio and Castelvetrano olive tatbilah, then showered in fresh mint and ruby pomegranate arils, it is a masterclass in texture. If you cannot find Roman artichokes, large globe artichokes quartered will do nicely. Do not be shy with the herbs or the crunch. Make it your own, pour yourself a glass of wine, and let's get cooking in my kitchen.
Featured Recipe
Fire-Charred Roman Artichokes with Sizzling Pistachio-Castelvetrano Olive Tatbilah over Velvet Brown Butter Tahini
Tender stem-on Roman artichokes blistered over roaring open flame until intensely smoky and crisp at the leaf tips, piled high over nutty, silken brown butter tahini. Drizzled while piping hot with a sizzling Aleppo-spiced pistachio and buttery Castelvetrano olive tatbilah, then showered in fresh mint and tart pomegranate arils.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 4 Roman artichokes(fresh, stem-on; violetta or baby globe artichokes work wonderfully too)
- 2 lemon(1 halved for steaming water, 1 juiced for sauce and tatbilah)
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1.75 tsp kosher salt(divided across steaming, tahini, and charring)
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil(divided between tossing artichokes and sizzling the tatbilah)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter(browned until nutty and amber)
- 0.5 cup raw sesame tahini(well-stirred, preferably pure Ethiopian sesame seed tahini)
- 3 cloves garlic(1 finely grated on microplane for tahini, 2 thinly sliced for tatbilah)
- 0.25 tsp ground cumin(toasted)
- 0.33 cup ice-cold water(essential for whipping the tahini into silk)
- 0.33 cup raw shelled pistachios(roughly chopped)
- 0.5 cup Castelvetrano olives(pitted and roughly torn with your fingers)
- 1 serrano chile(thinly sliced into coins; seeds retained for bright heat)
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes(substitute with Urfa biber or mild red pepper flakes)
- 0.33 cup pomegranate arils(fresh ruby gems for juicy crunch)
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses(thick, tangy, and sweet)
- 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves(tender small leaves left whole, larger leaves torn)
- 0.25 cup fresh dill sprigs(fronds coarsely plucked)
- 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt(such as Maldon, to finish)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice(from your second lemon)
- 1 small clove garlic(finely grated)
- 2 cloves garlic(thinly sliced)
Instructions
- 1
Prep the 4 Roman artichokes: snap away the tough fibrous outer petals until you reach pale greenish-yellow leaves, trim the top inch of the petals flat, peel the outer skin of the stems down to their tender core, and slice each artichoke lengthwise into quarters, spooning out any fuzzy inner chokes. Drop them immediately into a wide steamer basket over simmering water infused with 1 lemon (halved), 2 fresh bay leaves, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Cover tightly and steam for 10-12 minutes until a paring knife pierces the heart easily with slight resistance.
12 min
Tip: Steaming the artichokes first locks in sweet succulence before the aggressive fire charring dries out the interior.
- 2
While the artichokes steam, make the brown butter tahini. Melt 3 tbsp unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling until the milk solids foam, turn deep golden amber, and smell intensely of toasted hazelnuts (about 3-4 minutes). Pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 0.5 cup raw sesame tahini, 1 small garlic clove (finely grated), 0.25 tsp ground cumin, 0.25 tsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from your second lemon), and the warm browned butter. The mixture will seize up and look stiff; slowly pour in 0.33 cup ice-cold water in a steady drizzle, whisking vigorously for 1-2 minutes until it magically transforms into an ultra-pale, velvety cloud. Taste and adjust lemon or salt if desired.
7 min
Tip: Ice water is the secret to emulsifying tahini—it suspends the sesame fats into an impossibly silky ribbon.
- 3
Lift the steamed artichoke quarters out of the steamer and place cut-side down on clean kitchen towels. Press firmly with paper towels to absorb every drop of surface moisture—water is the enemy of char. Toss the dry artichokes with 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 0.5 tsp kosher salt to coat every petal and edge.
4 min
Tip: The drier the artichoke surfaces, the faster they will blister over the fire without turning mushy.
- 4
Turn the open flames of your gas stove burners to high heat (or preheat a heavy cast-iron grill grate over your hottest flame until smoking). Using long metal tongs, set the oiled artichoke quarters directly over the open flames. Char for 6-8 minutes, turning every 90 seconds, until the petal tips are blackened, crisp, and curling, the stem edges are blistered, and a deep smoky perfume fills your kitchen.
8 min
Tip: Embrace the black edges—we want intentional, bitter-smoky flame charring to cut right through the rich brown butter tahini.
- 5
As the artichokes finish charring, prepare the sizzling tatbilah. Set a small skillet over medium heat and warm 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Add 0.33 cup raw shelled pistachios, 2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced), 1 serrano chile (sliced), and 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes. Swirl continuously for 2-3 minutes until the garlic turns light pale gold and the oil turns sunset-red. Immediately take off the heat, stir in 0.5 cup Castelvetrano olives and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, letting the residual heat warm through the olives without dulling their vivid green color.
5 min
Tip: Pull the skillet off the burner the second the garlic begins to color; the residual oil heat will carry the toast to perfection.
- 6
Assemble the mezze immediately: smear the velvet brown butter tahini across the base of a wide, shallow ceramic serving plate with the back of a large spoon. Arrange the hot, fire-charred artichoke quarters decoratively over the tahini bed. Spoon the hot, sizzling pistachio-olive tatbilah and its aromatic spiced oil generously over the artichokes. Scatter 0.33 cup pomegranate arils, 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves, and 0.25 cup fresh dill sprigs across the top. Finish with a dramatic drizzle of 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses and a pinch of 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt. Serve piping hot with warm flatbread.
4 min
Tip: Serve instantly while the temperature contrast between the warm charred artichokes, hot fragrant oil, and room-temperature tahini is at its peak.
Chef's Notes
In Tel Aviv, nothing is treated with preciousness—least of all vegetables. We throw them straight onto open fire until they blister, blister, and give up their deep, caramelized sweetness. Here, the nuttiness of browned butter whisked directly into cold tahini creates a sauce so decadent you will want to swipe it with everything. If you cannot cook directly over an open gas burner, a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet or an outdoor charcoal grill will give you that exact ferocious char.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.