Not sure you’ve ever seen the trailer of Chef Nick Stellino on Create TV when he says: “I have no idea how it happened – the first guy that looked at an artichoke and said, hmm, I think I can eat that!” I laugh so hard every time I see it. Here’s a clip with him going into more detail about this lovely, sometimes intimidating vegetable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZK8wMRcx6E
I’ve had a love affair with the artichoke my entire life. I remember growing up picking each leaf one by one and scraping off the edible part with my teeth. My mom cooked them often and every time we sat down to enjoy them, she took pride to tell us how good they were for our livers. She liked the smaller ones where she would boil them in a light broth of onion, parsley, garlic, and lemon. Stuffing them with a breadcrumb mixture was also her specialty.
You can serve these up as a side dish, appetizer, or as a main course if your hubby is out of town like I do! Artichokes are a great vegetable to introduce to kids and lots of fun to prepare and eat together. Give us a shout if you have some artichoke tips and recipes to share!
- 4 small to medium artichokes
- 2-3 Tbl olive oil
- 4 cloves fresh minced garlic (use 1 clove for dipping sauce)
- Course salt & pepper
- 1-2 lemons
- ½ c melted butter or ghee
- When choosing artichokes it's best if they feel heavy and the leaves are tightly closed. Keep in mind that an artichoke is a flower bud, and as it gets older the leaves will start to open and dry out. Another indicator of a fresh artichoke is to press the leaves against themselves, and they'll create a slight squeaking sound.
- Before exposing to water, cut about 1 inch off the tips of the leaves with a sharp knife, trim the stem, then use your kitchen scissors to cut off the little thorns on the lower leaves. Remove any smaller leaves at the base of the stem.
- Slice in half, wash and add them to a large bowl of water with lemon slices to keep them from getting brown.
- Transfer to a steamer pot and steam for 20-30 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserts through the center heart.
- Heat a large skillet with the olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the halved artichokes, cut side down, and cook for 5-10 minutes until golden, then flip for a few more minutes.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice.
- Melt butter/ghee and add ½ lemon and 1 clove minced or crushed garlic (optional)
- Perfection!
- Notes: If you see that the artichokes are turning brown too quickly, you can rub the ends with fresh lemon. This dip is very light because I like to taste the full flavor of the artichokes, and sometimes don't even use a dip. If you're looking for a bigger punch, you can also find 10 simple dips for artichokes on the Kitchen Treaty website.