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I know it’s spring and all, but I have to admit: No matter how beautiful they are, I have absolutely no interest in trimming and preparing fresh artichokes. What I am interested in, though, is making crazy-good dishes that call for jarred marinated artichokes. Ever since I learned that simply roasting marinated artichoke hearts transforms them into a fantastically crispy and delicious appetizer, I knew they were the G.O.A.T. as jarred foods go.
So when I read about the fried artichoke sandwich in Lauren Toyota’s Hot for Food All Day: Easy Recipes to Level Up Your Vegan Meals, I knew I had to make the recipe immediately. For Toyota’s sandwich my favorite pantry staple gets dredged in a mix of seasoned flour, cornstarch, and club soda before being deep-fried and served with tangy pickles, crunchy cabbage slaw, and an herby vegan-mayo-based ranch. Piled on a fluffy sesame seed bun, the result is the best vegetarian sandwich I’ve eaten in a really long time.
In a world where plant-based sandwiches don’t usually receive the same special treatment that their meat-filled counterparts do, Toyota wanted to develop a veggie sandwich that’s loaded with flavor, richness, and a multitude of textures. She wound up with a fried artichoke sandwich that's delicious enough to be compared one of the most iconic sandwiches to ever do it: the classic po’boy of Louisiana.
“Artichokes have a nice buttery flavor, and when they’re marinated, they get a briny factor that works so well with a light batter,” Toyota tells me over the phone. That brininess brings to mind the oysters or shrimp that you’d put in the New Orleans classic, she explains. “It’s just an unexpected juicy bite, surrounded by a crispy paprika- and cayenne-spiced breading.”
The fried artichokes are definitely good enough to eat on their own, but Toyota knew she wanted to add a luscious sauce to round out everything. “Creamy sauces go perfectly with deep-fried food,” she says. Rather than the remoulade you might see on a po’boy, she enriches the artichoke sandwich with a vegan mayo–based jalapeño ranch that’s packed with fresh dill and chives. “The fresh herbs in the sauce also complement all of the other vegetables on the sandwich,” she notes.
While making the fried artichokes is really simple, Toyota stresses that it’s important to get organized before you start cooking. To get the crispiest results, she recommends draining the jarred artichokes and gently patting them with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid before you put them into the hot oil. Speaking of the oil: Make sure that you have enough. Your heavy-bottomed pot should be about a third full. And use a thermometer to make sure that the oil is actually hot before you start frying—it should read about 360º. Fry the artichokes until they’re crispy and brown—it should take about five minutes—then use a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs to transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
I like to pack the crispy artichokes into a vegetarian sandwich right away, but Toyota also offers an option that’s likely to level up your WFH lunch game significantly: “Fried artichokes freeze and reheat really well,” she says, “so they are the perfect make-ahead dish.” Once your fried artichokes have cooled to room temperature, place them in a sealed bag or container and store them in your freezer. To reheat, just scatter the frozen artichokes on a baking sheet and put them in a 400º oven for about 12 minutes. “They’ll come out crispy,” Toyota promises, “like they’ve just been fried,” ready to pile into a sandwich or onto your own personal snacking plate.
