Artichokes are a staple at almost every holiday dinner at our house…especially a Father’s Day dinner.
Which is what we of course had with dinner this last Sunday.
Our artichoke obsession started with my husband whose family grew up eating them and loving them. During our dating days he introduced me to this magical vegetable that is oh so delicious, and so fun to eat, and I was hooked. We have since passed our love for artichokes on to our children at New Years, on birthdays, and on many other special occasions. It is something we all look forward to and even sometimes fight over! 🙂 Who got the biggest piece of heart. Who is hogging all the sauce…etc.
Well, I thought I would share our love for artichokes with all of you as well.
It can be intimidating to make because not many people know how to cook it, but it is SOOOO easy.
We often buy our artichokes from Sam’s Club because you can get 4 for just under $6. This is a really good price. They can cost you a pretty penny at full price and can even get as high as $3 a piece – at least in our area.
Once you get them keep them refrigerated until you are ready to use them.
Wash them well.
Trim off the stems as close to the leaves as possible…even removing some of the smaller leaves at the bottom if necessary.
You can trim the tops of the leaves if you want to, with kitchen shears. This removes the sharp thorns that are often present at the tips. We don’t. I think it’s a waste of time and even my kids navigate around them without a problem.
Nestle them in a large pot, cover with water…
cover with a lid, and boil on high. You can also steam them if you have a large enough steamer.
You want to cook them until you can pull a leaf off easily {this can take up to one hour}. Check it’s done-ness again by scraping it with your teeth. If the flesh scrapes off easily it’s ready. Be sure to check each individual artichoke. Some are bigger or fatter and therefore can vary a little in cooking time – even when cooked in the same pot.
Remove with tongs and drain out any water that has accumulated in the leaves.
And dip in your favorite dipping sauce. I prefer Hollandaise sauce {recipe here}. I also like my husband’s mayonnaise sauce. It’s so unhealthy but really tasty. Mix equal parts mayo and melted butter. Add a little white vinegar and salt to taste.
Now…if you have never eaten an artichoke you might want some pointers. It can be really mystifying and strange the first go around. This is how we eat our artichokes:
Peel away the leaves one at a time and scrape away the tender flesh with the tops of your teeth. The closer you get to the center, the more flesh you can get out of the leaves, until you can bite off the bottom half of the leaves entirely.
Keep peeling until you get to this point.
Remove the whole top.
Dip it and bite the bottom portion completely off. Don’t bite too far up the cone, or you will get some thorns in your mouth.
 Then scrape the spindles and remaining leaves out until you get to the heart. This may require some finesse. You don’t want to lose any precious heart flesh.
And now for the main event…the very best part. Tender, delicious. Heart! Yum.
The next time you see this curious vegetable in the produce aisle. Don’t be afraid to pick it up. You won’t regret it!
Have a splendid weekend!
ROCK ON!!! I LOVE artichokes–but only have bought them canned (or in a jar) and use them in recipes. Yes-they intimidated me.
🙂 thanks for this post!!
You used exactly the right word – mystified. Artichokes mystify – and scare – me! Mainly because we never ate them when I was a child, but I don’t want my son to grow up that way. Recently I’ve been buying artichoke hearts in the can and adding them to salads. I always pass by the fresh with longing because I think they are beautiful. I want to buy one, but what will I do with it once I have it home? Now, I know! Thanks for the lesson.
I’ve actually been meaning to ask you for a tutorial! I tried it once after you posted about them a while back, but we just didn’t get it.I’ll have to make another attempt. Maybe we’ll just have to invite you to dinner so you can show us firsthand. 🙂
Love this post and love Artichokes! I get my veggies and fruit from Bountiful Baskets! http://www.bountifulbaskets.com They give you lbs of food for just $15 or organic is $25.
Anywho! We have gotten a ton of artichokes this summer! I made 6 of them for Fathers day and they were a huge hit! The other week I made them for some of my close friends from Cancun and they had never eaten it that way! Goodness it’s to die for!
I really love infusing melted butter with Garlic and pepper!
Enjoy your summer!
My husband introduced me to eating artichokes too! They are so yummy. We usually just use garlic butter. {also very healthy..ha!} Now I want one!
Great tutorial, by the way. It is kinda a complicated process.
If you trim the very end, peel, and cook the stem, it tastes just like the heart! I never throw it away.
Love, love, love artichokes! We usually eat them with garlic butter too, but they are totally a fav at our house.
I’ve always been so intimidated by artichokes. You’ve made it look so easy that I am determined to try it at home. Hollandaise sauce sounds perfect with it too. Yummy!
My hubby also grew up eating artichokes and always asks for me to make them but I’ve had no clue how to do it. I’ll be keeping an eye out for them at the store. Thanks Delia!
My mouth is watering…literally.
I love artichokes! Steamed with butter is my favorite way to eat them. I hope I can get my son to love them as well!
Wow..that was amazing! I’ve never had artichokes. I’m going to have to try this. Thanks Delia!
Follow Ariana’s advice – don’t throw away that stem! I always used to and recently saw them eat it on a cooking show, it is as delicious as the heart
I LOVE artichokes!!! They were always a special treat at our house! yum.
Artichokes are our favorite too!
My family hearts artichokes as well! We eat them at least once a week…and I just discovered, last weekend, when I forgot to boil the water and suddenly dinner was ready but the artichokes were still raw – that you can microwave them (not the optimal option, but sometimes necessary when little tummies are hungry) – place them in a bowl filled with water and microwave for about 7 minutes!
http://www.meremade.blogspot.com
Oh you hit it on the nose…I love Artichokes…I think the most fun is eating them. IT takes forwver but well worth the treat at the end. But once you finish you want more. I dip mine in mayo alone and sometimes butter if they are real hot, sometimes I just eat them alone with nothing….,it is a really filling and satisfying strange thing to eat..and oh yeah addictive…great post!!
Another delicious dip for artichokes: mayonnaise with red wine vinegar– just plop a large spoonful of mayo into a small bowl and add red wine vinegar a little at a time while stirring until pretty runny. SO good and tangy.
I'm so glad to see others who love artichokes as much as my family! Unfortunately, I am very spoiled being from the San Francisco area. Drive a little south and hit the farms and you can pick up smaller artichokes 10 for $5. When I moved to LA, I found out they are far more expensive down here! I have a hard time paying that price. So, I make sure to stock up when I visit my family. I'm