Photo by Bobbi Lin
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12 Comments
Michele K.
May 9, 2019
I don't cut off quite as much on the top, and I like to steam them by sprinkling them with salt & pepper, and with about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pot (no idea why). My family is Italian, and it seemed to me that we had artichokes every other week. My Nana stuffed them with breadcrumbs, and I ate them that way so often I thought it was part of the vegetable.
Marion B.
May 5, 2019
I trim and steam them pretty much as shown in the recipe. Except that I season the water in the steamer with a few whole peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a quarter of a lemon. You don't really need to trim off the prickly part of the leaf; it gets soft as the artichokes steam. I slice a few cloves of garlic and nestle in some of the leaves. (If I have parsley I will finely chop it and mix it with the garlic slices and a small drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then stuff the mixture into some of the leaves.) When I add the artichokes to the steamer, I squeeze a little lemon over and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with clarified butter (or ghee) or with aioli. The recipe on this site seems simple enough, but Kenji Lopez-Alt's recipe for 2 minute aioli is even easier! And I have a good-natured quibble with the term "garlic aioli," since "ail" is the french word for garlic. It's like saying garlic garlic sauce. . . . :-)
isw
May 5, 2019
Trim 'em as shown, put in a microwave-safe container with about 3/4" of acidulated water (roll the artichokes around to wet the cut edges to prevent browning), cover with plastic wrap, and nuke until done. Quicker and easier than steaming and way less water-logged than boiling. Been doing it that way for years.
tia
May 5, 2019
I skip the trimming and microwave mine. 5 minutes, rest for 5, 5 more minutes (more or less, depending on how big it is) . Just long enough to grill up some protein and call the whole thing dinner.
Mark A.
May 4, 2019
Leave the outer leaves on, they protect the inner leaves while steaming, don't bother trimming (this also negates the need to rub them down with lemon).
KISS 😀
I was so pleased to read this recipe as it was the first time in my 46 years that I have ever heard mention of this staple favourite of my upbringing.
For the uninitiated, the petals as you remove them will gradually have a greater proportion of the petal 'edible'. Finally when almost at the heart the entire petal is edible.
The best part is the inner stem, peeled and dipped in butter.
KISS 😀
I was so pleased to read this recipe as it was the first time in my 46 years that I have ever heard mention of this staple favourite of my upbringing.
For the uninitiated, the petals as you remove them will gradually have a greater proportion of the petal 'edible'. Finally when almost at the heart the entire petal is edible.
The best part is the inner stem, peeled and dipped in butter.
rbrock1225
May 4, 2019
I trim trim the artichokes as shown in the article but cook them differently. I add them to a large pot of water; add the juice of a quartered lemon; add the squeezed lemon quarters to the pot; then invert my steamer tray and wedge it over the top to hold the artichokes underwater. Depending on the number of artichokes, I’ll rest some metal spoons on the top to keep the artichokes fully submerged. DO NOT put a lid on the pan.
The lemon, finds and all, help flavor the water and artichokes. The lemon peel adds a small amount of oil — not enough to leave the chokes feeling oily, just a nice shine.
Keeping them submerged, they cook evenly and not covering them allows some gas to escape so they stay a dark green.
Wish I could claim that this was a family secret learned from my grandmothers who lived in Monterey County in the early and mid- 1900’s, but that’s not the case. It was from an Alton Brown Good Eats.
The lemon, finds and all, help flavor the water and artichokes. The lemon peel adds a small amount of oil — not enough to leave the chokes feeling oily, just a nice shine.
Keeping them submerged, they cook evenly and not covering them allows some gas to escape so they stay a dark green.
Wish I could claim that this was a family secret learned from my grandmothers who lived in Monterey County in the early and mid- 1900’s, but that’s not the case. It was from an Alton Brown Good Eats.
Patricia P.
May 4, 2019
I serve them room temperature with some shallot vinagrete or stuffed with bread crumbs, grated cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil then squeeze lemon juice over the artichokes. Oven until cheese bubbles. OMG!!!
Nicole G.
May 4, 2019
I have to share how I cook these because it's so easy and delicious:
-Cut enough of the stem so the artichoke can sit upright on a plate. Don't cut the top as that is the utensil you use to eat it!
-Completely submerge and boil your artichokes in a large pot for 45min-1.5 hours depending on size or how "ripe" it is. You can tell when it's done by removing the artichoke @ 45 minutes, if you can easily pull out a leaf about 4 layers in and scrape the meat off, it's ready!
-Dip dip in mayo or butter and don't feel bad about it because those fats are what helps yours body absorb all the nutrients and enjoy. Once you run out of leaves use a spoon to scrape out the hairy stuff and devour the heart.
-Cut enough of the stem so the artichoke can sit upright on a plate. Don't cut the top as that is the utensil you use to eat it!
-Completely submerge and boil your artichokes in a large pot for 45min-1.5 hours depending on size or how "ripe" it is. You can tell when it's done by removing the artichoke @ 45 minutes, if you can easily pull out a leaf about 4 layers in and scrape the meat off, it's ready!
-Dip dip in mayo or butter and don't feel bad about it because those fats are what helps yours body absorb all the nutrients and enjoy. Once you run out of leaves use a spoon to scrape out the hairy stuff and devour the heart.
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