I love a good artichoke dish, but I must admit to being somewhat intimidated by this versatile vegetable. A large portion of artichokes are inedible and preparing them can be arduous and time consuming; in some preparations that can mean essentially cutting down to the heart.
Steaming Artichokes
Artichokes can easily be boiled or steamed in salted water. They're a tough thistle, so they'll need to boil longer than most other vegetables (20-40 minutes). you'll know they're done when an outer leaf pulls away easily from the base. The outer leaves are mostly fibrous but contain flavorful meat at their base that you scrape off with your teeth (preferably after dipping in olive oil, melted butter, vinaigrette, or mayonnaise), while the inner leaves are fully edible. And once you strip away all the leaves, you're left with the wonderfully tender, silky, and flavorful heart and stem.
Trimming Artichokes
If you're steaming or boiling, cut off the top third or so -- there's virtually no edible material there -- then remove the very toughest outer leaves, the bottom 1/4 inch of the stem, and any pointy leaf tips. Remove the feathery, inedible choke before cooking, pry open the middle of the artichoke and dig into it with a spoon to remove any fuzzy bits little by little.
Braising Artichokes
Remove any tough outer leaves and leaf tops, unless they're extremely tender. It can be useful to quarter small artichokes lengthwise after trimming and then scrape the choke out of each quarter. Sauté them in butter or olive oil until they're brown and tender. They're fabulous with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, but you can gussy them up by adding aromatic vegetables, chopped tomatoes, or salty tidbits like olives, capers, or anchovies.
If you're not interested in eating artichokes on their own, browse the many different artichoke recipes on Foodista, including my favorite: Queen Anne's artichoke tart!
Photo Source: Marlith
