Easy Steamed Artichokes With Tarragon Butter 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.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Pull off any brown or very tough outer leaves from one artichoke. Use a sharp knife to cut off the top 1 inch of artichoke, then rub with the cut side of the lemon. Use kitchen shears or scissors to cut the pointy tops off the remaining outer layer of leaves. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel the stem down to its tender pale-colored core; immediately rub the stem with a lemon half. Use your fingers to separate the center leaves to expose the fuzzy pale choke sitting on top of the heart. Use a grapefruit spoon (or other spoon) to scoop out the choke, and rub a little lemon juice over the exposed flesh. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
• Fill a medium pot with 2 inches of water, place a steamer basket inside, and bring water to a simmer. Place the artichokes bottoms down on the rack, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer over low heat until you can easily pull off an artichoke leaf, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the steamer basket and transfer to a serving platter.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Slowly whisk in butter. To serve, have everyone pull off the leaves and dunk the meaty bottoms into the lemon butter, swirling to mix butter with each dip (the butter will separate as it sits).

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.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Prepare artichokes Using a serrated knife, cut off top quarter of each artichoke. Use kitchen shears to trim sharp tips of artichoke leaves. Remove any small leaves from bottoms of artichokes and trim stems so artichokes can stand upright.
• Prepare steamer Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and add a sprig of tarragon and a pinch of salt. Set steamer basket in pot (make sure water doesn't seep through holes). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer.
• Steam artichokes Stand artichokes upright in steamer and season with salt. Top each with a lemon slice. Cover pot and steam until bottoms of artichokes are very tender when pierced to the center with the tip of a paring knife, 35 to 50 minutes. (Add more hot water if necessary to maintain level during cooking.)
• Meanwhile, make butter Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in chopped tarragon and season with salt.
• Serve Place an artichoke on each plate with some lemon wedges and serve warm tarragon butter on the side for dipping.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH GRAINY MUSTARD AND BACON DRESSING

Steps:

• Make an ice-water bath: Fill a bowl with ice and water; set aside. Trim artichokes; snap off tough outer leaves. Cut in half, and cut off top quarter of artichoke. Snip remaining leaf tips with scissors. Trim bottom of stem; using a vegetable peeler, peel off tough outer skin. Spread leaves to gain easier access to choke; scoop out choke with a melon baller. Squeeze some lemon juice onto heart; squeeze more lemon juice into the ice bath; add lemon halves and artichoke halves to ice-water bath while preparing the rest.
• Fill a saucepan large enough to accommodate all artichokes with 2 inches of water. Add salt, peppercorns, thyme, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil; bring to a simmer. Add artichokes, stem end up; cover saucepan. Steam until tender, about 25 minutes. Leaves should pull off easily; heart should feel tender when pierced. Drain well. Cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, cook bacon over medium-low heat until bacon is brown and crisp and fat is rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from saute pan, and set aside.
• Depending on the amount of bacon fat in the saute pan, add enough olive oil to make a total of 1/3 cup fat and oil. Add shallots, carrots, and celery, and cook until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in grainy mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Return bacon to saute pan. Arrange artichokes on serving platter. Spoon hot mixture into the cavity of each artichoke. Serve immediately.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH LEMON-GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• Pack artichokes upright in a large pot. Add garlic. Pour in water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 35 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let cool. Peel and mash 4 steamed garlic cloves (reserve remainder for lamb). Stir in mayonnaise, zest, lemon juice, pepper, sugar, and salt. Remove artichoke leaves (reserve hearts for stuffing). Refrigerate leaves and aioli separately until ready to serve.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH TARRAGON MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Squeeze juice of 1 lemon into a large bowl of cold water.
• Trim stem of 1 artichoke flush with bottom. Snap off outer leaves. Using kitchen shears, cut off tips of remaining leaves. Place in lemon water. Repeat.
• Drain artichokes, and place in a pot in a single snug layer (in batches if necessary). Add 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and steam until tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from pot. Let cool. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, zest and juice remaining lemon. Whisk zest, 2 tablespoons juice, the mayonnaise, tarragon, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Serve alongside artichokes.