Episode 6: Artichoke
METHOD
How to Cook an Artichoke
1. If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves,
take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the
leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften
with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the
artichoke.
2. Slice about 1 to 2 cm off the tip of the artichoke.
3. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.
4. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them. Alternatively you can cut off the stems and peel the outside layers which is more fibrous and bitter and cook the stems along with the artichokes.
5. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water.
6. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.
How to Eat an Artichoke
Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot. They are served with a dip,
either melted butter or mayonaise. Mayo with a little bit of
balsamic vinegar mixed in is nice.
1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.
2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the
other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull
through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the
petal. Discard remaining petal.
Continue until all of the petals are removed.
3. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy
part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The
remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and
dip into sauce to eat.
