Artichokes...You're Doin' it Wrong!
When I was a young girl growing up in Southern California, we used to attend the Renaissance Faire on a yearly basis. It was there that I consumed my very first artichoke. Luckily, no one informed me of the name of this beautiful creature because there would have been no way to talk my 9 year old self into eating an artichoke! I fell in love with this globe of creamy, buttery goodness from the first bite.
Fast forward to many years later, and I eat them at least once a week when they are available.
It has only been over the past month that I discovered that I've been doing it wrong!
I have always steamed my artichokes leave side up and stem side down. It never occured to me to do the opposite until I was looking up artichoke ideas and I discovered what should have been more than obvious...you're gonna get a lot more flavor in that choke if the steam from the well-seasoned water is allowed to penetrate the inside of the leaves. Duh!
So here is my rendition of the steamed artichoke.
I made a warm pasta salad to go with it.
Artichokes
Ingredients:
2 artichokes
Water
Chicken broth
Olive oil
Dried oregano
Dried Basil
A couple of dry bay leaves
Squirt of lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Melted butter for dipping
*You can use whatever dipping sauce you like, but I like to keep it simple.
*I didn't give specific measurements. Just eyeball it based on the size of your artichokes and the size of your pot.*
Method:
Rinse your artichokes in cold water, cut off the stem and trim about an inch and a half off the top
(Some people feel the need to trim off the tops of each and every leaf but I personally find it a waste of time.)
Add equal parts water and broth to your pot. If you want a little more flavor, add more broth than water. Make sure you have enough liquid so that the tops of the chokes are covered up to about 2 inches.
Cut garlic cloves in half and add to pot
Add all dried herbs and salt and pepper. Again, just eyeball it. As much or as little as you like.
Add a squirt of lemon juice (fresh or from those little plastic bottles) and a few table spoons of olive oil.
Heat on medium high until the liquid comes to a low boil
Place artichokes in the pot leaves side down
Cover and reduce heat to medium low and allow artichokes to steam for approximately 1 hour.
Cooking time will depend on the size of the chokes. Mine were HUGE so I cooked them for about 70 minutes. When you are able to insert a knife into the bottom of the choke without resistance, they're done. I'd rather have an over cooked choke than an undercooked one.
Reserve liquid for pasta salad.
Pasta
Ingredients:
6-8 ounces dry pasta - I used tri colored rotini
Approximately 7-8 cherry tomatoes cut in half
A handful of sliced black olives
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
A few fresh basil leaves - chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Boil pasta acording to package instructions
Once pasta is cooked, drain but DO NOT RINSE
Stir in a few tablespoons of olive oil
Add tomatoes, olives and minced garlic
Use a spoon or a ladel to add your reserved artichoke liquid to your pasta
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix
Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves
If you feel the need to have a protein included, you can throw in some shredded grilled chicken (I did) or even pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
A nice, light and tasty dinner.
Delish!
NOTE: If you have never eaten an artichoke, you're in for a treat. Not only are they delcious, but they're fun. Eating them is like an activity! If you have no idea where to start, YouTube is your friend!
