How to Cook Artichokes (Steamed Artichokes)
Servings: 5 servings
- 5 artichokes
- 1 lemon
- 2 leaves mint or bay leaves
Optional Serving suggestions
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 handful parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayo (optional)
- 2 tablespoon chimichurri (optional, instead of the other ingredients)
CLEAN ARTICHOKES
- Fill up a large bowl with cold water, then squeeze the juice of a lemon in it. Set aside.With a serrated knife, cut off the top spiky ⅓ top part of the artichoke.Tip: when handling artichokes, brush your hands with lemon juice or wear gloves to prevent your finger from turning brown.
- Rub the cut part with lemon to prevent it from turning brown.
- Remove tough outer leaves.
- Trim the stem down to 2 inches (5 cm) and peel it.
- With your thumbs, loosen up the head of the artichoke, exposing the choke.
- With a knife or with a sturdy teaspoon, remove the choke - the fuzzy central part.
- Put each cleaned artichoke in the bowl with the lemon water to prevent discoloration and browning, and repeat till you clean all.
STEAM ARTICHOKES
- To a large pot, add 1½ inches (3.5 cm) of water and the mint. Put the steamer basket into the pot, then arrange the artichokes on the steamer basket, head down.
- Cover the pot, bring to a simmer, and steam until tender. It can take 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your artichokes. Pierce with the tip of a pointy knife to check doneness. The blade should slide in easily.
- Drizzle with chimichurri and dip petals in vegan mayo.
- Or cut them in half lengthwise and simply with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh parsley, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 artichoke out of 5, without mayo.
HOW TO PICK THE BEST ARTICHOKES
- Pick them up, they should be heavy.
- Squeeze their head and leaves; they should be squeaky.
- Hold them horizontally from the end part of the stem; they should be toned and hold up straight.
- Their color should be uniform, with a few or no dark spots.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
- Make ahead: you can clean artichokes in advance and keep them in a bowl with cold lemon water in the fridge, covered with kitchen paper so that the artichokes are fully submerged in the water, for up to 24 - 36 hours.
- Refrigerator: keep leftover artichokes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: let the steamed artichokes cool down completely, then transfer them in a freezer friendly bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: defrost in the refrigerator over several hours or in the microwave.
- Reheat: reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes.
