Steamed Artichokes became a favorite with my children from the moment they began to actually eat with their hands. Many of their friends leaned to eat Steamed Artichokes at our table. Eating tutorial later.
First – choose artichokes whose leaves are tightly closed. I prefer unblemished ones but the “frost-bitten” artichokes that come at the end of Winter are also delicious. The greyish area on their leaves disappear in the cooking.
Second-prepare as described below.
Third- Don’t assume everyone knows how to eat an artichoke. If I have new guests at my table, I always give a general explanation hidden in a story from my children’s youth about how to approach this amazing vegetable:
With your fingers, you pull out an individual artichoke leaf. At the tip will be a small amount of the artichoke heart. Dip that piece in dressing and put it in your mouth-scraping the artichoke heart off the leaf with your front teeth. Discard the leaf on the serving plate. Repeat this process until you have eaten as much of the artichoke as you wish. At this point, you will see a small cluster of purple leaves. Lift these up in one swoop and set aside. Now, you will see the heart covered by a layer of bristles called the “choke”. Take a knife and gently cut around the circle of the choke so that you can remove it. Voila- there is your artichoke heart. Cut it up and dip each piece into the Vinaigrette of your choice. Enjoy!
For another artichoke recipe, try this: Stuffed Artichokes
Prep time: each artichoke takes about 5 minutes to prepare for cooking
Steamed Artichokes
By Published: March 20, 2014
Yield:
- 8
Ingredients
- 8 Large artichokes
- 1 large Lemon
- 2 cups dressing balsamic vinaigrette, mustard vinaigrette
Equipment
- large roaster with cover not aluminum
- 1 serrated knife
- 1 kitchen scissors
Directions
- Using a serrated knife, cut about 1/3 off the top of the artichokes. You should be able to see the lighter leaves inside when you're done. Now, take the scissors and snip off all the pointy ends of the remaining leaves. Cut off the stems close to the base of each artichoke. Rinse them well.
- Halve lemon, and rub lemon juice over the top and bottom of the artichokes to prevent them from turning brown.
- Place artichokes in pot and add enough cold water to come 3/4 up the artichokes. I like to sprinkle some white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar over the tops before cooking. Bring water to a boil. Partially cover the pot. Reduce water to a simmer. Check them in about 45 minutes by pulling out one leaf with a tongs. Smaller artichokes will be done quicker than larger ones. Remove artichokes with a slotted spoon or large tongs. Place them upside down to drain and cool.
- Place each artichoke on an artichoke plate or a large dinner plate with room for a small ramekin of dressing. Serve warm or room temperature with the dressing of your choice. I prefer a thicker dressing so that it doesn't drip as much from the leaves.
