If you didn't grow up eating artichokes, they can seem like strange and intimidating creatures. If you've ever wondered how the heck to cook and eat the crazy-looking things, here's how I do it.
Fill a large stockpot with 2" of water. Add salt, lemon juice, garlic, and bay leaf. Insert a steamer basket, and make sure water level is below the basket.
Cover the pan and bring water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow water to simmer while working on artichoke prep.
Meanwhile, trim the artichokes. If the stem is long, trim it to approximately 1/2". Slice the tip end off artichokes. Wash under warm water.
There are little barbs on the tip of each leaf. I trim these off with scissors.
It only takes a couple of minutes for each one, and they look and feel so much better.
Place artichokes into the steamer basket and cover. Cook on medium heat for approximately 30 minutes. Cook until outer leaves can easily be pulled off.
To eat, remove each leaf and dip the fleshy end into the sauce. Many people use a mayo-type sauce. You could use my Low-Fat Mayo with balsamic vinegar mixture. We love Asian Sauce-- recipe instructions below.
Tightly grip the other end of the leaf. Place in mouth and pull through teeth to remove soft, fleshy portion. Discard remaining leaf.
Continue until all leaves are removed. As you get close to the center it will look purplish like this.
The center of the artichoke will look like this fuzzy thing. It's called the choke, and if you try to eat it, you will.
Use a knife or spoon to scrape the fuzzy part away. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.
Asian Sauce
Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl. Adjust ingredients to your taste. If using cornstarch, heat to activate thickening.
Video
Notes
Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.