Steamed artichokes are a fun vegetable to serve because they're so hands-on. The flavor is rich and hearty, so I find a little goes a long way. And, they are so amazingly easy to cook! I was first introduced to eating artichokes whole (and not marinated in a bottle) from my lovely mother-in-law. She taught me this method of steaming artichokes. I love the flavor the lemon adds to the artichokes while they're steaming. They're such fun to eat! Enjoy!
Steamed Artichoked dipped in Garlic Butter
Choose 3-4 fresh artichokes that sound squeaky when you squeeze them.
Rinse thoroughly, separating the petals as best you can. Chop off the bottom stem so they can sit flat on the bottom.
In a pot with a lid that is wide and deep enough to fit your artichokes, place:
juice from 1/2 - 1 lemon
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
3/4 "- 1" hot/boiling water
Place artichokes cut-side down in your pot. Bring water to a boil, then cover and lower heat to steam the artichokes for ~30 minutes. Remove artichokes from pot and place on a serving plate.
Mix together the following to serve alongside your artichokes:
1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
To eat:
The center of the artichoke is where the "heart" is located. The best (in my opinion) way to eat these are to pull out one petal at a time from the side or top of your artichoke. The very bottom part of the artichoke petal will have about 1/4" - 1/2" of soft artichoke heart on it. Dip the petal into your garlic butter and scrap off the little bit of soft delicious flesh with your teeth. Dispose of the remainder of the petal. Artichokes are rich and packed with flavor, so I find one artichoke is often more than enough for me to eat alone. Continue removing petals and eating off the flesh until all the larger, more robust petals have been removed, dipping in butter as you eat.
You'll find there are tiny, softer petals left on top after eating the larger, thicker petals. Remove and dispose of these petals. Also dispose of the "fuzzy" or "fibrous" cone that sits atop the flavorful "heart" of the artichoke. It's easiest to use a spoon to scrap it off. The heart is the part at the bottom of the artichoke that you've been tasting little bites of each time you eat a petal. It's delicious and wonderful dipped in the garlic butter. It's also delicious diced up and eaten atop pizza, a salad, a cracker, or really anything savory that goes well with garlic and butter. I like the diagram posted on this page in case you're worried about what not to eat.
Enjoy!
Artichokes served alongside garlic butter with a dish for leaves/petals once
Steamed Artichoked dipped in Garlic Butter
Choose 3-4 fresh artichokes that sound squeaky when you squeeze them.
Rinse thoroughly, separating the petals as best you can. Chop off the bottom stem so they can sit flat on the bottom.
In a pot with a lid that is wide and deep enough to fit your artichokes, place:
juice from 1/2 - 1 lemon
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
3/4 "- 1" hot/boiling water
Place artichokes cut-side down in your pot. Bring water to a boil, then cover and lower heat to steam the artichokes for ~30 minutes. Remove artichokes from pot and place on a serving plate.
Mix together the following to serve alongside your artichokes:
1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
To eat:
The center of the artichoke is where the "heart" is located. The best (in my opinion) way to eat these are to pull out one petal at a time from the side or top of your artichoke. The very bottom part of the artichoke petal will have about 1/4" - 1/2" of soft artichoke heart on it. Dip the petal into your garlic butter and scrap off the little bit of soft delicious flesh with your teeth. Dispose of the remainder of the petal. Artichokes are rich and packed with flavor, so I find one artichoke is often more than enough for me to eat alone. Continue removing petals and eating off the flesh until all the larger, more robust petals have been removed, dipping in butter as you eat.
You'll find there are tiny, softer petals left on top after eating the larger, thicker petals. Remove and dispose of these petals. Also dispose of the "fuzzy" or "fibrous" cone that sits atop the flavorful "heart" of the artichoke. It's easiest to use a spoon to scrap it off. The heart is the part at the bottom of the artichoke that you've been tasting little bites of each time you eat a petal. It's delicious and wonderful dipped in the garlic butter. It's also delicious diced up and eaten atop pizza, a salad, a cracker, or really anything savory that goes well with garlic and butter. I like the diagram posted on this page in case you're worried about what not to eat.
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment