How To Prepare and Cook Artichokes?
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Artichokes are incredibly popular in France! As soon as I see them, I immediately buy a few because they remind me of cozy family dinners. Since many people don’t know exactly how to handle this vegetable, I’ll show you step-by-step in this simple guide how to properly prepare, cook, and enjoy artichokes.
In This Post
How to Choose the Perfect Artichoke
Please note that I’m showing you how to prepare large whole artichokes (such as the famous Camus de Bretagne variety), not small purple artichokes, which are prepared a little differently. Before getting down to preparation, I’d like to remind you of a couple of things that are essential for selecting them:
- Color: They should be a beautiful, soft green. Try to avoid brown spots as much as possible. As you can see from my photo, mine have a tiny bit: it’s not dramatic, but there shouldn’t be too much!
- Weight and texture: The base of the artichoke should feel firm and heavy in the hand. This is the sign that it is plump and full of water.
- Leaves: They should be tightly packed and closed together. If the leaves are too open, the artichoke is already too ripe and may be a little too fibrous.
Did you know? The artichoke is actually the bud of a large flower! If you don’t pick it in time, it continues to grow and opens up into a beautiful purple flower.
The Simple Way to Prepping Artichokes
Well, now you’ve got a nice artichoke, so I’ll show you how to prepare it before cooking it:
- Step 1: Wash the artichoke well. I recommend leaving it to soak for 10 minutes in a large bowl of cold water to remove any impurities or aphids hidden between the leaves.
- Step 2: Hold the artichoke firmly on your work surface with one hand (head flat), letting the stem protrude into the air. With the other hand, give the stem a sharp downward jerk to break it off.
- Step 3: Using a small paring knife, cleanly trim the base of the artichoke where the stem has broken off, so that it can stand upright on your plate when you’re ready to serve. Rub with a little lemon juice to prevent the base from darkening.
How to Cook Artichokes ?
For large whole artichokes, I recommend boiling or steaming. Firstly, you’re sure to cook them all the way through, and secondly, both methods preserve the tenderness of the flesh.
- In water (my preferred method): Plunge the artichokes into a large pot of boiling salted water with two slices of lemon juice. A little trick to keep them from rising to the surface: place a smaller lid or plate directly on top of the artichokes to counterbalance them and keep them well submerged. Allow 30 to 45 minutes, depending on their size, from the time they come back to the boil.
- Steaming or pressure-cooking: Place in the steamer basket for 30 to 40 minutes. Pressure-cooking: Allow 20 to 25 minutes from the sound of the valve.
How do you know if they’re done? Plunge a knife blade into the base and it should sink in without resistance. If not, pull lightly on a leaf at the bottom and it should detach without resistance.
How To Serve Artichokes
Once cooked, drain the artichokes head-side down in a colander to remove all the water between the leaves. Then serve them warm with a sauce or stuff them.
Here are my three favorite ways to serve them:
- The classic version: Simply serve the whole vegetable while still warm with a homemade vinaigrette. Find my detailed recipe and tips on how to remove the leaves from your artichoke in my article on artichoke with vinaigrette.
- The stuffed version: Once the artichoke is cooked (in this case, I’d recommend undercooking it by 10-15 minutes), carefully remove the central leaves and hay (the little hairs) with a spoon. Then fill the bottom with a minced meat filling, or a vegetarian mix (feta, cooked lentils and sun-dried tomatoes). Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C. Delicious!
- As a salad or starter: harvest only the artichoke bottoms, removing all leaves and hay. Cut the flesh into pieces and serve on your summer salads. Or, as an appetizer, serve the chopped artichoke bottoms on a plate with a drizzle of good olive oil, fine Parmesan shavings, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.
FAQ
The artichoke’s peak season extends from spring to autumn (May to October). Large artichokes (such as Camus de Bretagne) are perfect in summer, while small purple artichokes (such as Poivrade) can be enjoyed from early spring.
It’s very simple: the artichoke should be heavy in the hand, with leaves that are tightly packed, fleshy and a lovely soft green (with no black spots). If you try to gently bend an outer leaf, it should snap cleanly: this is a sign that it’s waterlogged and super-fresh!
Raw artichokes keep well for 4 to 5 days in your refrigerator crisper. My tip: leave the stem on (if uncut) and wrap in a clean, slightly damp cloth to prevent drying out. Once cooked, however, eat it within 24 hours, as it quickly develops compounds that can make it hard to digest.
Yes, you can! They can be trimmed (cut and lemony) a few hours in advance and kept in a cool place under cling film. You can also cook them in advance and serve them at room temperature in the evening, accompanied by their homemade vinaigrette.
👉Recipe Card
How To Prepare and Cook Artichokes?
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Ingredients
- 2 artichokes large
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Wash artichokes. Break off the stems with a sharp downward stroke to remove the tough fibers. Trim the base with a knife and rub with lemon.
Cooking (your choice)
- In water: Plunge them into a pot of boiling salted water. Place a plate or lid over them to keep them submerged. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes from the time they come backto the boil.
- Steaming: Place in a steamer basket for 30 to 40 minutes.
- In a pressure cooker: Allow 20 to 25 minutes after whistling.
- To check if they are cooked, stick a knife into the base. The blade should press in without resistance. Pull one of the leaves from the base; it should come off by itself.
- Place the artichokes upside down in a colander to drain off the water, then serve warm with a homemade vinaigrette.
