Artichokes. You might normally look at this vegetable with intimidation and keep walking past. Never again! Once I teach you this easy method to cook artichokes you will be physically craving them all the time like I do. Are they actually addictive? Who knows, but in my house they are.
Artichokes have a dual personality. They have the strange ability to be the perfect boujee impressive meal or a family fun activity where its okay to eat with your hands and play with your food. One of my fondest memories of childhood is sitting at news papered tables pulling the leaves off one by one until we reached the coveted prize in the middle. The heart. The reward for all your hard work.
How to choose an artichoke?
An interesting fact about artichokes is that they are in the thistle family and actually the flower of the plant. Spain is the second largest producer of artichokes in the world. In Spain, they are in season November to March when the weather is colder.
When choosing your artichokes, look for hydrated leaves and check the bottom of the stem. If it is green it has been cut recently and therefore more fresh. If more purple, then more time has past since being cut.
How to prepare an artichoke for cooking?
- Chop off the top 1/3 of the artichoke to remove most of the tips of the spiked leaves.
- Wash the outside of the artichoke and let the water run continuously on the exposed cut side to wash out any dirt that may be between the leaves.
- Use a peeler to peel away the top layer of the tough stem of the artichoke. Cut the stem to be about 1/2-1 inch length
How to serve these easy artichokes?
If eating with kids, put down a few layers of newspaper on the table before pulling out each leaf, sliding your teeth along the leaves and discard the leftovers on the table. When you get to choke, have an adult scoop it out and then chop up the heart to share. When finished roll up all the newspaper, and throw in the trash.
For an adult dinner party, dress it up a little and place on your prettiest serving dish. Place a few options for dipping sauces in cute containers around the table. Have some discard plates handy for the discarded leaves.
Dipping Sauce Options
For dipping sauces I always measure with my heart so adjust freely on your preference. Keep tasting along the way and it is done whenever your say it is.
- My favorite is a mayonnaise or melted butter base with garlic and lemon. Make it vegan by using vegannaise.
- Pesto is another great option to dip. Straight pesto or with a touch of mayonnaise.
- Balsamic, mayonnaise, fresh garlic, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Chimichurri sauce.
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Artichokes-Easy Method
Equipment
- 1 large deep pot
Ingredients
- 4 globe artichokes
- 1 lemon
THE SAUCE
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter or mayonnaise/vegannaise
- 1 clove fresh garlic minced
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the Artichokes
- Boil water in a large, deep pot.
- While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the artichokes for cooking. Chop off the top 1/3 of the artichoke to remove most of the tips of the spiked leaves.
- Wash the outside of the artichoke and let the water run continuously on the exposed cut side to wash out any dirt that may be between the leaves.
- Use a peeler to peel away the top layer of the tough stem of the artichoke. Cut the stem to be about 1/2-1 inch length
- Once the water is boiling, place all the artichokes into the pot and cover with the lid. Boil for 15 minutes. Check to see if it ready by pulling off a leaf. If it comes out easily, it is ready. If it doesn't come out extremely easily, boil for a little longer.
- Take out of the pot and place cut side down to drain the water out of the leaves.
THE SAUCE
- While the artichokes are cooling, combine melted butter or mayonnaise/vegannaise with minced garlic and a squeeze of lemon.
- Pull the artichoke leaves off one by one and dip into the sauce scraping your teeth along each leaf to take off the "meat". Continue until you reach the center. Use a small spoon or knife to scrape away the choke (which looks like fuzzy hair) and discard. THIS PART IS INEDIBLE.Below the choke is the heart aka the best part. Cut that piece up and dip into the sauce and enjoy the reward for all your hard work.
