How to prepare and enjoy an artichoke
Artichokes are surprisingly simple to prepare.
Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com
My mom passed along a deep appreciation of artichokes to me, as well as her method for preparing them. That is to say, I don’t actually have a written recipe, but it’s a pretty simple process, so here we go.
The first step in preparing tasty steamed artichokes is selecting good artichokes. Mom always taught me to look for heavy, dense artichokes with tight leaves and a glossy sheen. You can find a great guide for selecting artichokes here.
Once you get them home, it’s time to get cooking.
You’ll want to start by cutting most of the stem off from the bottom and about half an inch to an inch from the tip of the artichoke. Pull off the smaller leaves from around the base, and then grab your kitchen shears and cut the thorny tips off the remaining leaves.
Rinse the artichokes in cold water, then rub the cut edges with a lemon wedge.
Fill a large pot with a few inches of water. Add a bay leaf, salt, a clove of garlic and a couple of slices of lemon. Drop in a steaming basket (I sometimes use a pasta insert), add your artichokes and cover. Once the water has reached a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the artichokes). You’ll know they’re done when you can easily pull out the outer leaves.
Now comes the fun part: eating your artichokes. They’re delicious enough to not require any additional adornments, but I’m partial to a simple melted butter dip. Back when Red Hawk had steamed artichokes on the menu, they served them with a lemon mayonnaise.
Never enjoyed a steamed artichoke before? Unsure of how to approach this odd thistle on your plate? Here’s the skinny: start with the outer leaves. Pull off a leaf , grip it from the top, and dip the white, fleshy part into the melted butter (or don’t). Place the leaf in your mouth fleshy part down, and pull between your teeth, scraping off the “meat” of the leaf. That sounds a lot stranger than it really is.
As you work your way closer to the center you’ll encounter the fuzzy/prickly part of the artichoke called the choke. Scrape or cut that away and you’re left with the heart - the most rewarding and delicious part of the vegetable. Cut it into quarters, dip it and enjoy!
Melted butter dipping sauce for artichokes
1 stick butter juice of one lemon 3-4 shakes of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce 1 tbsp chopped parsley
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Pour into custard cups or other small bowls and serve with artichokes. Serves 4-6.
Comments
Peggy Lampman
Sun, Apr 25, 2010 : 5:07 p.m.
Thanks for the Hillers tip! I just bought some beauties at the Kroger on Industrial too! Peggy
bunnyabbot
Thu, Apr 22, 2010 : 3:30 p.m.
oh I used to love artichokes and ate lots of them, until the time I was working my way through one and the steamed body of a meal worm popped out, now I won't touch artichokes
krc
Thu, Apr 22, 2010 : 11:39 a.m.
I've eaten artichokes since my mother introduced them to me 45 years ago. The way I prepare them is to cut the stem off leaving a flat bottom. I don't bother to trim off the thorns. Steam them until I can pull off a leaf about halfway to the top. I make a simple dipping sauce of butter and lemon. I eat them by pulling off a leaf and putting it in my mouth white side up and scraping the delicious flesh off with my top teeth. When I get to the fuzzy part, I scrape it off with a big spoon (works really well). Then I savor the heart. Oh, and I usually just discard the very outer leaves as they are tough and have very little of the white flesh. I introduced artichokes to my daughter who was 8 at the time and she remains an aficianado to this day. Enjoy, everyone!! Happy artichoke eating!!
Atticus F.
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 4:01 p.m.
It's also important to remember that as the artichoke opens, it loses quality, and becomes woody. I always look for tight, unopened flowers.
bg
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 3:37 p.m.
Vivienne: it may make more sense to use baby artichokes in that type of recipe. Baby artichokes are simply smaller versions of the full-size ones, just picked lower off the plant. More of the baby artichoke is edible, and they typically don't have a choke (fibrous stuff just above the heart) - otherwise you end up with many of the outer leaves in the garbage. They are about the size of an egg, and can usually be found in packages of 4 or 6.
bg
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 3:18 p.m.
I love them, but can't be bothered with the whole trimming process of removing the thorny tip, acidulated water, etc. I eliminate this step, and just warn eaters to be aware of the thorn. Even my 4-year-old has mastered eating them. I mix mayonnaise, dijon mustard and dill for dipping.
Vivienne Armentrout
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 2:41 p.m.
This is a good classic treatment, but I'm interested in learning how to cook the chokes Mediterranean-style, either braised, sauted, or grilled. Often these recipes depend on olive oil and do not require high-fat sauces. I've done it a little but plan to be more systematic when they are in season this year. I just browsed a number of recipes and most call for cooking halved trimmed (have to get rid of more of the woody fibrous outer leaves) artichokes in seasoned water for 15-20 min, then grilling with various mixtures of oil and herbs, garlic, etc.
Jake C
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 2:18 p.m.
Is bigger necessarily better (when it comes to fruits & vegetables)? The best-tasting strawberries, beets, and carrots that I've had are usually the smaller ones. While I'm sure grocers love them, giant strawberries and bananas often have a weird 'unripe' taste, as do some other super-sized fruits & vegetables. And if you're buying by the pound, it shouldn't really matter what the size of any individual piece is...
Becky T.
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 1:24 p.m.
Hillers had giant ones for $1.50 just a few days ago...
Peggy Lampman
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 1:17 p.m.
Jessica--I've been hunting for really big artichokes--the big ones are usually plentiful now but I haven't seen them. Any tips? Peggy
Atticus F.
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 12:51 p.m.
Here's my recipe for dipping sauce: 1/2 tsp lemon juice 3/4 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp Sriracha Rooster Sauce(chili sauce)