How Long to Cook Artichokes
If you’ve never cooked an artichoke before, don’t be intimidated by their foreboding appearance with prickly thorns and tough outer leaves; artichokes are a delightful delicacy that should have the opportunity to sit on every dinner table this spring. Even the novice cook can be a master chef with the engaging flavor of the artichoke that reaches between such flavor notes as the sophisticated asparagus and one of the work horses of flavor, celery.
To help with your confidence we have a video to guide you through what must seem like an ominous and arduous task for how long to cook artichokes and prepare these beautiful flowers for cooking. In addition we have a deeply delicious basil garlic aioli dip recipe to accompany your freshly prepared artichokes. Artichokes really are easy to cook.
Artichokes have a mystic beauty about them that is hidden until you cut them open and you are graced with a beautiful color palette of cream, purple and deep earthy green. In addition to the beautiful colors this is where you’ll find the heart of the artichoke; in the culinary world it’s considered the creme de’ la creme part of the artichoke and we agree! Artichokes have two seasons to shine, spring and fall; they’re the quintessential come back kids with their generosity to grace us twice a year.
We said earlier artichokes are flowers, yep, that’s exactly what they are, the immature flower of a Globe or Jerusalem thistle. Aside from being a flower, fun to eat, beautiful to look at and crazy delicious, artichokes are high in fiber, loaded with antioxidants, folic acid and vitamin C. Delicious and nutritious are pretty hard to beat; especially when you’re talking about dipping it in our basil garlic aioli. Don’t let this artichoke season slip past you, be adventurous and try this scrumptious and mystic beauty.
There is one unique quality to artichokes that needs to be addressed before you begin you’re sojourn of a love affair with this editable flower…they are a bit fussy and temperamental when it comes to the kind of cookware you cook them in and the kind of knife you use to cut them with. Their tendency to oxidize and turn brown so easily losing their glorious colors demands they be cooked in stainless steel cookware and cut with a stainless knife. Our Kitchen Charm cookware and cutlery is the perfect marriage for this delicate flower.
Have we convinced you yet to try artichokes? Here are a few quick tips on how to pick fresh and tasty artichokes that will deliver the best flavor punch for your taste buds.
- They should be firm and have some weight to them. They shouldn’t feel hollow or light.
- The leaves should have a deep earthy green color. Don’t worry if they have a bit of brown on them; that is due to frost and some swear that enhances their flavor.
- The leaves should be nice, tight and compact.
- Purchase artichokes when they are in season this is when you’ll get the most flavors, highest nutrient value and the best price at the checkout counter.
- A really fresh artichoke will squeak when you squish it in your hands a few times, silly…but true.
Let’s get started and cook up some delightful spring goodness!
Ingredients
- 2 Artichokes
- ¾ Cup water
- 1 Lemon
Directions
Thoroughly rinse the artichokes in cold water. Cut one lemon in half. Remove all the small leaves at the base of the stem. Cut off the stem and rub with lemon to prevent browning from oxidation. Cut off the top quarter of each leaf with kitchen shears. This will remove the prickly spikes at the end of each leaf. Rub entire artichoke with lemon. Cut in half lengthwise.
Pour the water in the 4 quart Kitchen Charm pot, add the halved artichokes and put the lid on with the Redy-cook valve open. Turn heat to medium high and wait for Redy-cook valve to sound; close valve and turn heat to medium low and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes.
When artichokes have cooled enough to handle it’s important to cut out the choke (the hairy looking part) as it isn’t edible and will “choke” you if you do eat it. The video shows you how to acconplish this.
Ingredients for Basil Garlic Aioli
- 1 Lemon
- ½ Cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tsp Minced garlic
- 2 TBL Fresh chopped basil
- Zest of ¾ of 1 lemon fine chopped
- 3 TBL fresh squeezed lemon juice
In a medium bowl combine and mix all the ingredients. For best flavor results allow the aioli to sit over night in the refrigerator. This will give all the ingredients a chance to achieve a full complement and marriage of all the flavors.
Life is Delicious!