An ancient vegetable demystified.
The artichokes we eat are the unopened flower buds of the artichoke thistle plant. Each plant will make several artichokes during the spring, and there is a second harvest in the late fall. This vegetable from the Mediterranean region was domesticated from the cardoon, selecting the plants to produce more and meatier flowers.
The green globe artichoke is what we are most familiar with, but artichokes come in varieties that have different sizes and colors.
Bringing them Home
When they are out of season, look out for dried edges at the cut stem and petals. Select artichokes that are heavy for their size.
Frost causes purple, brown, or blistered spots on the leaves. These frost spots designate sweeter artichokes.
How to cook an artichoke
I divide artichoke cooking into two primary methods.
The home-cook method — Cook it whole and let the eaters do the work. Let them pull the leaves with their fingers and make a little mess at the table.
The fancy-restaurant method — Your hired prep cooks get to fight through the spiny outer leaves, trimming down to the edible hearts and then a line cook, cooks the hearts, and you simply eat them with a fork and knife.
Since most of us don’t have prep cooks on staff, I’ll focus on the home-cook method.
Trim first, then boil or roast.
You will want to trim the stem end and cut off the spiny petals on the top of the bud, with a sharp knife. A sawing motion with a serrated knife works well for this task.
Roasting — Cut them in half, drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper and place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook them at 375 °F for 40–50 minutes.
Boiling — Prepare a pot with cold water and a lemon cut in half, squeeze the juice into the water, and then throw the lemon half into the water. Put the whole artichokes into the water as you trim each one. Bring the pot to a boil and cook them for 30–45 minutes, until you can easily pierce the heart with a small knife.
As an alternative to boiling, if you have only one artichoke, In Bounty from the Box, Mi Ae Lipe suggests microwaving. Place the artichoke in a bowl with ½ cup of water, cover and cook on high for 7 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes. I haven’t tried this, but it is a great way to cook a small quantity.
Removing the Choke
At the center of the artichoke, there are fine hairlike fibers called the choke. Regardless of the cooking method, when the artichoke is done, you will want to remove the choke to make it simpler to eat. This is easier to do in a cooked artichoke, so I have listed it after the cooking directions, but you can remove the choke before cooking. Gently open up the flower petals scrape out the hairs with a thin teaspoon (a melon-baller works well if you have one).
Serve the artichoke whole, and then each diner can pull off a petal, dip them into a dressing, and eat the “meat” off the bottom half of the outer leaves.
The typical dipping sauces include a flavored mayonnaise, ranch dressing or balsamic vinegar and olive oil, melted garlic butter or lemon vinaigrette.
After removing all of the petals, you can cut and eat the heart.
Storage Methods
Raw artichokes will last in the fridge for a while, but they lose flavor quickly. Cook them within a week of purchasing.
If you have a large quantity, precook them and then freeze or can the hears to make the famous spinach-artichoke dip.
Enjoy them at their best
Raw artichokes can be intimidating at first, but they are easy to cook whole with roasting or boiling. Let your family help you with the butchery, by peeling the leaves and cutting the heart at the table. Serve them with a simple dressing and have fun eating with your fingers.