Food My Muse

Crunchy Artichoke Topping
0 Strain the artichokes, saving the brine. Separate the leaves from the heart, saving the hearts for later in this recipe.
1 On a cutting board, slice the artichoke leaves in half lengthwise. Separate them and pat dry well.
2 Add 2 inches of oil to a skillet and heat to 350°F.
3 Sprinkle the artichoke leaves with 2 tbsp flour and a pinch of salt. Separate them with your hands pretty well and if needed, add the remaining 1 tbsp flour until they are fully coated.
4 Add the artichoke leaves the preheated oil. Separate them using chopsticks and fry until they're deeply golden. Remove them with a strainer, placing them on a paper towel, and top with grated parm.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
5 Preheat a skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add ½ tbsp butter, olive oil and then the shallots. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add in spinach and sauté until it wilts. Remove from the pan and add to a strainer. Squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you can. Let cool.
6 In the same skillet, add the remaining ½ tbsp butter, artichoke hearts (set aside earlier), white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chipotle powder. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Let cool.
7 To a food processor, add cream cheese, chives, parsley, honey, Japanese mayo, Franks Red Hot, sour cream, grated parm, lemon zest, artichoke brine, sautéed spinach, and sautéed artichoke hearts. Process until smooth, taste and add salt as needed.
11 Add your dip to a piping bag with a large round nozzle. Moving the piping bag back and forth, add the dip to a plate in a continuous S pattern (see video). Sprinkle the crispy artichokes in lines, top with fresh cracked black pepper, chives and serve with chips for dipping. And that's it!