A Beginner's Guide to Cooking Artichokes
Cooking artichokes can seem like a pretty in-depth process, and it doesn't help that everything about this vegetable seems to scream difficulty. In order to enjoy a nice home-cooked artichoke, you first have to school yourself in the ways of properly preparing and cooking this yummy vegetable. But don't let that scare you--once you know how to prep them, cooking artichokes is as easy as cooking, say, broccoli or Brussels sprouts. We are going to start off by describing how to prepare your artichokes to be cooked, and then we will describe the most common methods of cooking which are boiling and steaming.
Artichokes can look pretty intimidating when they're sat on your cutting board. Don't let this vegetable scare you--it's much easier to prepare than you might think. Start off by washing the vegetable as thoroughly as possible. I prefer to do this using cold running water to ensure that any dirt that may be trapped within the folds of the artichoke are washed away. Try tipping the artichoke upside down while washing it so that water can gain access to the folds. Don't worry about pulling back these folds, which is quite difficult to do with a raw artichoke.
Next, it's time to cut the artichoke. Using a sharp knife, remove the stem from the artichoke. Using the same knife, or kitchen scissors if you have them, trim off the very tips of the folds. These are thorns. Although they do soften during the cooking process and aren't dangerous to eat, trimming these thorns definitely kicks up the overall presentation of the artichoke. Now you need to remove the top or pointed end of the vegetable. You will remove approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the artichoke doing this.
Now you need to prepare the cut artichokes for their "bath". This is a mixture that will ensure that your artichokes retain most of their color during the cooking process. This isn't 100% necessary, but failure to bathe your artichokes before cooking them will result in a dingy brown color that is none too appealing. You will need 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of vinegar. Mix this together in a small bowl. Place the artichokes cut-end down into the water until they are fully submerged. It's okay if the nub from the stem sticks out. The artichokes will need to remain in this liquid mixture until you are ready to cook them, but be sure that they stay submerged, as they have a tendency to want to float to the top of the bowl.
Our first method of cooking artichokes is boiling. This is such a simple method and it ensures that your artichokes will turn out nice and soft all the way through. Place the artichokes upright in a pan so that the cut tops are facing upward. Fill the pot 3/4 of the way full with water. At this point, most people add a teaspoon of lemon juice or a few lemon slices, as well as some garlic. You don't have to, but it definitely adds a nice touch in the flavor department. Bring the water to a low boil and allow the artichokes to cook until the leaves have darkened and a fork can easily slide through the center.
Now it's time to remove the "choke" from the artichoke. This is the center portion that looks kind of like the inside of a rose. This portion is not edible and should probably be removed before even hitting the dinner plate. Simply scoop out this inner portion using a spoon. Keep scooping until all of the fuzzy bits have been removed. This should be done no matter how you cook the artichokes.
The steaming method is quite the same, only you'll want to pop a steaming basket (or metal colander) over the pot of boiling water. Bring the water to a full rolling boil before placing the artichokes in the basket. If possible, try to keep the artichokes standing upright so that they cook thoroughly through the center.
And there you have it--a simple guide for cooking artichokes. Now you can begin planning how you will incorporate this tasty and unique vegetable into existing and new dishes!