Artichokes are known for their beauty, great taste, and range of health benefits, but despite these advantages, they are rarely used in recipes because, quite frankly, they’re a tad scary to work with. However, they’re shockingly simple to prepare with just a little preparation and one excellent meal option you should try out.
Naturally, your hesitation may be because you don’t know how to cook artichokes, but not to worry, this article will put you through all the basics. Also, note important tips and guidelines to obtain fast and favorable results every time.
Artichokes Nutrition Facts
Tips for Cooking Artichokes
We advise that you adhere to the following tips and guidelines to cook and enjoy artichokes properly:
Choosing artichokes – These tips will help you to pick out the right artichokes:
- Pick artichokes that are weighty to the touch when you snap them up. They will probably be a little dry and not as succulent as required if they feel light.
- The leaves of the artichoke should “squeak” when squeezed. Another way to tell if the artichoke is fresh is to look out for this feature.
- The leaves should flay wide closed with only a bit of space, not flayed outwards to a substantial degree. Remember that an artichoke is essentially a flower bud with leaves that open up as it matures. As a result, an artichoke with fully open petals may be considerably older.
- It’sIt’s fine if the artichokes are “frost kissed.”; there’s no cause for alarm if an artichoke appears to have been frost-burned. In reality, these less-than-appealing artichokes may taste better than ones that have not been exposed to frost, and they may attract a higher price as a result.
- Choose artichokes that are bright green and free of brown stains. It’sIt’s typical for some artichokes to have a purple color on the outside. Remember that giant artichokes will typically take a longer cooking period than smaller ones, as with most vegetables.
Best cooking method – Boiling and steaming are the two fastest and most typical ways to prepare these thistles. While both methods are simple, the preferable method is steaming. Boiling artichokes cause the flesh to waterlog, making it watery and diluting the flavor. Steaming artichokes preserve them moist and soft while also preserving their nutrients.
If you don’t have a steamer basket, don’t worry. Instead, a metal colander or mesh strainer can be used. Make sure it’s heatproof and fits inside the pot tightly.
How to eat artichokes – Steamed artichokes in their whole form are finger food. Pull a leaf from the outside and dunk it in the sauce to eat them. Please put it in your mouth with the meaty side down. Press down on the leaf and drag it out with your teeth, scratching the flesh. Dispose of the leaf and continue eating until you reach the purple leaves, which are more sensitive.
When you get to the purple leaves in the very center, be careful – they might be thorny, so discard them with a dishtowel. Scrape the choke (the fuzzy bit) off the artichoke using a spoon, or you can carefully slice it off with a knife and discard it. The edible heart is now all that’s left.
Artichokes taste like – The flesh of an artichoke is nutty, green, and slightly sweet, with a flavor similar to fresh corn. Both the leaves and the hearts of artichokes provide a wonderful vessel for creamy dips such as garlicky mayo or herby lemon butter.
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Cooking Time for Artichokes
Ideally, you should follow the timing guidelines in the table below when cooking artichokes:
Cooking Procedure
Cooking Time
Steaming artichokes at a low simmer
40 to 60 minutes
This recipe delivers deliciously cooked artichokes, and the dipping sauce makes for a wonderful accompaniment that your guests are sure to love. The entire cooking duration for this recipe includes a 5-minute prep time and a cook time of 40 minutes to 1 hour.
PrintArtichokes (4 Servings)
Ingredients
- Two medium-sized artichokes (about 1¾ pounds in total)
- One medium-sized lemon
For the garlicky mayo dip (optional part of the recipe):
- One tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
- One clove of garlic
- ½ cup of mayonnaise
- One teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil a few inches of water in a big pot large enough to contain a steamer insert with a lid. Get the artichokes ready to cook in the meantime.
- Cut the stems off two artichokes at the base using a chef’s knife.
- One inch from the tops of the bulbs, cut off (right in the area where it begins to taper), remove and dispose of any tiny, black leaves located at the base.
- Trim about ⅓-inch from each leaves with a pair of kitchen shears to remove the sharp tips.
- Remove debris buried between the layers by rinsing the clipped artichokes underneath cold tap water while carefully dividing the leaves using your fingertips. If you’re, you’re going to leave your artichokes out for longer than minutes before cooking them, soak them in a big bowl of acidulated water (water with one lemon juice) to keep them from browning.
- Place the artichokes cut-side up in a steamer basket, heatproof colander, or strainer in the pot. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and steam the artichokes for about 40 to 60 minutes, covered.
- The artichokes are ready when you can easily pick off one outer leaf with tongs. Take the artichokes out of the pot and set them aside to cool until you can handle them. If desired, prepare the dipping sauce in the meantime.
- To make the dipping sauce, mince one clove of garlic and chop one tablespoon of fresh cilantro or parsley leaves into fine bits. Combine ½ cup of mayonnaise and one teaspoon of lemon juice in a mixing dish. Stir in the pepper and seasonings.
- Serve your freshly steamed artichokes with the delicious dipping sauce and enjoy.
For more recipe ideas, we recommend this video recipe for amazing results.