Cobi's Super Easy Steamed Artichokes
Don’t fear the homemade artichoke!
Artichokes are one of my family’s very favorite foods and if it’s on the menu at a restaurant, you know we’re ordering it! Recently I was out with a group of friends and we ordered artichokes as an appetizer for all of us to share. Of course, the conversation turned to these strange vegetables and I was surprised to learn that a lot of my friends don’t make them at home because they are actually afraid of them!
Some said they found the vegetable a bit daunting. Ok, I totally get that– they are really weird-looking and they have little thorns on each leaf. It’s basically a vegetable with teeth! But there’s a work-around for that which I’ll talk about in a minute. When I was reading up on artichokes for this post I thought it would be interesting to share that artichokes are thistles, which are a group of flowering plants that are characterized by having sharp prickles on their leaves. In artichokes the flower is inside at the time of harvest, but if you let them keep growing a big purple flower will eventually emerge! Once they bloom they’re gorgeous but totally inedible.
Second, a lot of people said, “well, what do I do with them?” The answer is, lots! They’re actually super easy and there’s many different ways to prepare them. I’m going to talk about my go-to method below!
Click below for my video on how to prepare artichokes or read on for instructions!
What You’ll Need:
- Serves Four -
Two Artichokes
One Lemon (to keep the artichokes from oxidizing)
Seasoning to Taste (I used Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper and Lawry’s Garlic Powder)
Here’s How:
Ok so let’s start at the beginning. You’re in the store looking at all the artichokes, how do you pick one? You want to look for artichokes that feel heavy for their size with compact leaves. If the leaves are starting to open up and break away from the body, no good. Look for ones that are fresh and green, if they’re starting to look beat-up or brown, also no good.
Once you’ve got your ‘chokes home, grab a pot large enough to fit your artichokes. We’ll be cutting them in half so keep that in mind, they’ll usually fit better once halved. You’ll need a steamer basket for this one. My go-to pot came with a large steamer insert but any regular steamer basket will do the trick. Fill the pot to just below the steamer line, put the lid on, turn the heat to high to bring to a boil. Now, it’s prep time!
Take your artichoke and cut off the stem. Then, turn it around and cut off the top third too! I find a serrated knife works well for this because it grips better and artichokes are tough!
Next, the work-around for the thorns I mentioned earlier! Grab your kitchen scissors and cut off the thorny tips of each leaf, working your way around until all the leaves are snipped and safe. The bonus of this is I think it looks really pretty for serving. And your kids won’t get pricked while attempting to eat them! At this point you want to rub the cut portions of the artichoke with a cut lemon to stop it from turning brown.
Now you are ready to cut them in half. I do this so I can take the “choke” out in advance so my guests/family don’t have to deal with it table side. It can be really messy. While cutting them in half be mindful to have a steady grip on the artichoke pressing down while using a serrated knife to cut through the tough artichoke.
Next, we’ll remove the choke. I use a small paring knife but many people like to use a spoon for this. You want to remove the hairs and small inner leaves, making sure to not scrape out the meaty heart of the artichoke (the best part!). Once this is done, rub the exposed skin with the same half of lemon.
This is when I like to season my artichokes. I brush it all over with olive oil and sprinkle with Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper and Lawry’s Garlic Powder. Season as much or as little, to your taste.
At this point your water should be boiling and you should see steam coming out of your pot. Take the lid off and using tongs place the seasoned, cut artichokes into the steamer basket inside of the pot. Put the lid back on your pot. Reduce heat to medium and set a timer for 30 minutes. (Make sure your pot does not run out of water.)
The cooking time varies depending on how large your artichokes are and how many you are cooking at one time. I have found they will be ready in anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Start checking for doneness at the 30 minute mark. You know they are ready when a leaf pulls away easily from the artichoke. Be careful not to burn yourself when taking the lid off while checking to see if they are ready. That steam is hot!
When they are finished, use your tongs to remove them from the pot. Place them on a platter of your choice and enjoy! You did it!
These go great with my go-to Balsamic Aioli recipe. My kids won’t eat them without it! I usually make it while the artichokes are steaming. You only need a couple minutes to whip it up!
Alternatively, a side of melted butter can always do the trick.
Let me know how your experience making these artichokes goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you.
All my love,
Cobi
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