Fry Up Artichoke Hearts For An Added Crunch On Sandwiches

A can of artichoke hearts makes an easy, tasty, and texturally delightful addition to salads, dips, and pasta dishes. They have a savory, buttery flavor and a soft, creamy texture that are versatile additions to rich cheesy dips and light salads. However, if you're willing to put in the effort, deep-frying artichoke hearts will transform them into crispy and delicious sandwich fillers.

For extra flavor, you can use simple water-packed canned artichoke hearts in brine or jarred marinated hearts. Marinated artichoke hearts are pre-seasoned and oiled, giving them an herbal earthiness, while canned artichokes provide a briney complement to the richness of the frying oil. Deep-fried artichokes take minutes to fry and maintain their tender, buttery interior while taking on any flavors you add to the batter.

Furthermore, deep-fried artichoke hearts are hearty enough to be the star of a vegan or vegetarian sandwich or a crunchy delicacy to bring a meaty sandwich to decadent heights. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them for future sandwiches or use any leftovers as a sumptuous appetizer to serve with various creamy and spicy dipping sauces for your next dinner party or game day gathering.

Artichoke hearts are a flavorful yet versatile canvas for any pairing, starting with the seasonings and ingredients you add to your frying batter. Instead of an egg-wash and dry batter dredging, you'll create a wet batter using a mixture of flour or cornstarch, seasonings, and a carbonated liquid like beer or club soda. Carbonation adds acidity to the batter, effectively curtailing the buildup of gluten in the flour, which in turn promotes the lightest, crispiest fried exterior.

While club soda will provide a crispy exterior without infringing on flavor, beer imparts yeasty and bitter notes. Smoked paprika and cayenne pepper would provide a nice spicy and smoky kick to the buttery, rich flavors of fried artichoke hearts. Spicy, smoky fried artichoke hearts would be the perfect vegan swap for fried oysters on a classic Po Boy with remoulade sauce and butter pickles. For another Southern-inspired sandwich, you could make cornmeal battered artichokes topped with pimento cheese and garnished with comeback sauce on a brioche bun. 

You could also add lemon zest, freshly cracked pepper, and parmesan cheese to club soda-based batter for a delicious addition to pair with provolone and marinara sauce in a hoagie roll or smothered with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes on ciabatta bread. Since fried foods pair well with creamy and tangy accompaniments, coleslaw, aioli, hollandaise sauce, and Thousand Island dressing would all make delicious sandwich spreads.