Basic Steamed Artichoke Recipes

EASY STEAMED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Prepare artichokes for steaming: Snap off tough outer leaves. Using a serrated knife, cut off top 1/3 of artichoke. Snip remaining sharp or spiky tips using kitchen shears. Trim stem so artichoke stands upright. Rub cut surfaces with lemon to prevent discoloration. Repeat with remaining artichokes and lemon.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot; add enough water so it reaches just below the basket. Squeeze lemon juice into water and add 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a boil. Place artichokes in steamer basket, stem-side up. Cover pot, and steam until heart is tender when pierced with a tip of a paring knife, and inner leaves pull out easily, 25 to 35 minutes; add more water to pot, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature with Easy Hollandaise or melted butter, if desired.

SIMPLE STEAMED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Cut stem from artichokes and discard, making sure the bottom of each artichoke is flat. Cut top 1 inch (or so) of the artichoke and discard. Snip the thorny ends from each artichoke leaf with a pair of kitchen scissors.
• Fill the bottom of a pot with a couple of inches of water, adding garlic, lemon juice, and bay leaf to the water. Place a steamer basket in the pot, making sure that the water does not flow over the bottom of the steamer basket.
• Place the artichokes in the basket, resting on the flattened bottoms.
• Bring water to a boil, cover the pot, and cook until the leaves can be easily pulled from the artichoke, 20 to 30 minutes.

ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Fill the pan with just enough water to cover bottom. Bring to a full boil over high heat. While water is heating, trim and discard the stems and tough outer leaves of artichokes. Tuck slivers of butter and slices of garlic into artichoke leaves.
• When water is boiling, place steamer insert in pot and set artichokes in steamer, stem-side down. Cover pot with lid and allow artichokes to steam for approximately 20 minutes, until tender.

BASIC STEAMED ARTICHOKE

Steps:

• 1. When you buy an artichoke, the leaves should be mostly snug to the head, though a few spreading slightly away are just fine. Green is good, but a little browning (see picture #1) is quite acceptable. The stem should be 2 to 3 inches long to prevent spoilage of the choke (center part). The leaves have very sharp little spikes on the tips, so be careful when handling.
• 2. The entire stem is edible, but for presentation and convenience, trim it off right at the base. (see picture #2)
• 3. Use a really sharp knife to trim about 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top See picture #3, a little sawing motion may be needed). The interior leaves may all be green or some right near the center may be a red-ish/purple-ish color.
• 4. Using a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, trim the ends of the leaves to remove any chance of spike-related injuries! (see picture #4)
• 5. Using that really sharp knife again, slice the artichoke in half along its axis. Squeeze about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice in each half. (see picture #5) This will both add a lovely flavor and also prevent (or reduce) the browning of the cut leaves. Like potatoes or apples, artichokes tend to turn brown once they've been cut and the citric acid helps stop that. (Some browning has already started in the attached photo. This much won't affect the flavor or texture.)
• 6. Set the halves in your steamer. I usually place them cut-side up, but it really doesn't matter. Steam them on the stovetop for about 25 minutes...(see picture #6)
• 7. ...You'll know they are done because you can remove one of the outer leaves with just a gentle tug.(see picture #7)
• 8. Remove one of your halves and place it on a work surface or cutting board. Note the hair-like growth at the center and the tiny red-ish leaves above them. These are not user friendly, but instead are tiny prickers that will make you choke. They need to be removed...so use a spoon or paring knife to dig them out. You want to dig just slightly below the center, as indicated by the dashed line on picture #8.
• 9. What you'll end up with should look something like picture #9, though there could be a few red-ish leaves left in the center as well. Note that *all* the hairy part is removed.
• 10. Serve with a little dipping sauce of some sort. The standards are drawn butter or simple mayonnaise, but there are literally hundreds of sauces that work. To enjoy them, pull off a leaf, dip the end you pulled off into the sauce, then scrape the meaty portion of the leaf's interior off with your teeth. The outer leaves will have very little meaty portion, but as you work your way further into the plant, the amount of meatiness and its wonderful flavor both increase. When you reach the end and have only the central "heart" remaining, simply cut it into pieces and eat it, too! The heart is the true reward for all the little tastes you got from the leaves!

BASIC STEAMED ARTICHOKE

Steps:

• Snap off the stem. With a stainless steel knife, slice off the top, about 1 inch from the pointed end. Use scissors to cut off the tips of the outer leaves. Rub all cut surfaces with lemon juice.
• Bring water to a boil in a pot with a steamer insert. Place the artichoke in the insert and cover the pot tightly. Steam until the base is tender and the leaves pull out easily, about 40 minutes.
• If serving whole, pull out the cone of leaves in the center of the artichoke. Use a small spoon to scoop out the choke. If using the heart only, pull away all of the leaves and then scoop out the choke. You will need approximately 8 large artichokes to get the equivalent of 1 13 3/4-ounce can of artichoke hearts.

STEAMED WHOLE ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Put the parsley, garlic, bay leaves, lemons, wine, oil and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Season the liquid with salt and pepper. In the meantime prepare the artichokes.
• Wash artichokes under cold water. Using a heavy stainless steel knife, cut off the stems close to the base. Pull off the lower petals that are small and tough. Cut off the top inch of the artichoke and rub with half a lemon to preserve the green color. Alternatively, you may put the artichokes in acidulated water. If you wish, trim the thorny tips of the petals with kitchen shears.
• Place the artichokes in the steaming liquid, bottom up. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. The artichokes are done when a knife is inserted into the base and there is no resistance.
• To eat, pull off a leaf and scrape the meat off the tender end with your front teeth. Dip the ends of the leaves in lemon juice and melted butter if desired. When you reach the center cone of purple prickly leaves, remove it. This is the choke that protects the heart. Now, scrape away the thistle fuzz covering the artichoke heart. The heart is the meatiest part of the artichoke. Steamed artichokes may be served hot or cold.

EASY STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Make a bowl of acidulated water: Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into bowl along with the lemon halves; set aside.
• Using a serrated knife, cut off 1/2 inch from the top of an artichoke. Remove any small leaves from the bottom and trim stem so artichoke can stand upright. Use kitchen shears to trim sharp tips of artichoke leaves. Transfer to acidulated water, and repeat with remaining artichokes.
• Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and add tarragon and a pinch of salt. Set steamer basket in pot, making sure water doesn't seep through holes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer.
• Place artichokes stem side up in steamer and season with salt. Cover pot and steam until bottoms of artichokes are very tender when pierced to the center with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes. (Add more hot water if necessary to maintain level during cooking.)
• To make the tarragon butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in chopped tarragon and lemon juice, and season with salt.
• Place an artichoke on each plate, remove the center leaves and with a spoon gently scrape down to the heart. Serve with lemon wedges and warm tarragon butter on the side for dipping.