I tried these delicacies for the first time only very recently and I must admit that I have missed out a lot. I always cooked and had the marinated ones sold in supermarkets but that was all. They seemed beautiful to me but not tempting enough to buy and try the fresh ones. What changed and made me buy them at last? I am a strong believer that we have to give every food a chance in our life and I believe that was the day for me when artichokes needed to be given that chance, the one and only chance. One word to define the experience of having tried artichokes: fascinating to the point where I have felt such a strong impulse to be writing about them here.
Artichokes are not only delicious and easily digestible but also very healthy. Whether they are grilled, sautéed, baked, stuffed, boiled and served one leaf at a time, they contain a lot of vitamins, fiber, mineral salts, they are antioxidants, they stimulate the digestive system and lower the cholesterol level.
The artichokes’ leaves are very fibrous and not edible. At the base of each leaf there is a tiny bit of soft flesh that you will be eating on your way to the meaty heart. The closer you get to the center of the artichoke the softer the leaves get. And before you reach the heart of the artichoke, you will be making sure to remove all the fuzzy hairy fibers called the choke.
First time we tried them we steamed them for about 20 minutes and then grilled them. They were good enough and intriguing enough to make us exciting about exploring them again, maybe cooked in a different way. However, at this point we were already discussing our culinary experience with friends when Doug, one of our dear friends gladly offered to cook his favourite recipe. Not only did he do that, but he taught us how to eat it, how to display them on the serving plate, what dips you can serve them with to showcase them and the result is all captured in the pictures.
One warning though, they are not that filling, they are not to be served as comfort food and I trust you are already getting the picture. They are kind of amuse bouche, they are all about the taste and not about how much you end up eating. It is about the experience of getting a taste of it with each and every bite, with each and every leaf up to the point you get to the core of it and then: explosion of satisfying flavour. At that very point, you may say: oh wow, now I get it or you simply end up being disappointed by the hard work of getting to finish line and say: it is not worth it and it is not for me. At least you tried them and that alone is a win. As for me, I know my journey of exploring this beautiful flower-vegetable has just began.
How to cook artichokes
Using a sharp knife, remove the stem by cutting off the base.
Cut off about half an inch of the top of the bulb.
Using a pair of kitchen scissors, trim off the tip of each leaf around the perimeter. Rinse the trimmed artichoke thoroughly and rub it with fresh lemon to prevent oxidation.
Fill a saucepan with water, add half a lemon and the artichoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil covered for 35 minutes until tender and you can easily pull away one of the lower leaves.
How to serve artichokes
Fill individual ramekins with melted butter, garlicky aioli or finely cut fresh herbs, infused in olive oil and balsamic vinegar (I use thyme, basil, rosemary and chives).
How to eat artichokes
Pull the leaves off the artichoke, one at a time, dip in your preferred sauce/dip, and scrape the meat off each leaf with your teeth. When you get to the purple leaves, be careful as they are rather sharp. Once you are out of leaves use a spoon to scrape off the "hairy choke" of the artichoke and then eat the very best part, the heart of the artichoke, by dipping it in your favourite sauce.
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