Simple Steamed Artichokes

Bauer, Elise. 'Simply Recipes'. Simplyrecipes.com. N.p., 2007. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

Feature ingredient: Artichokes

Artichokes can be intimidating, lets face it. When I first saw them, I didn't even think they were edible; with their spiky leaves and bulb like appearance, they looked more like a flower than a veggie. Little did I know, artichokes are actually flowers, from the thistle species, that have yet to bloom. They are native to the Mediterranean region and exist as both wild plants/flowers and crops. They also have a rich history in cooking and have records of being used in ancient Greek and Roman cooking; they were eventually cultivated to become the artichokes we have today. Artichokes were first introduced to England by the Dutch and brought to the United States in the 19th century by French and Spanish immigrants.

Artichokes are used for a variety of products such as preserved artichoke hearts, spinach and artichoke dip and even artichoke tea (and more!). Since this is only the second time I've had contact with these mystical plants, I will be showing you a simple recipe that I used to create steamed artichokes that can be served as an entrée.

Tip! - When buying artichokes make sure they are heavy compared to their size, bright in colour, and petals/leaves wrap tightly to centre. 

Recipe: Simple Steamed Artichokes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 medium artichokes

1 lemon, cut into quarters

Extra virgin olive oil

Pepper 

Salt 

Butter, melted (optional)

Method:

1. Wash your artichokes throughly, make sure to wash between the leaves by parting them gently and running them under water.
2. Trim the stem to about 3 cm long and trim off the tougher outer membrane and stray leaves around the stem. Rub areas that have been cut with a lemon wedge to prevent the artichokes from browning.
3. Using scissors, snip the top third of each petal on the outer surface as they can be spiky - be careful! Again, rub the areas cut with lemon.
4. Fill a large pot with about 200 ml of water (you may need to add more later), a pinch of salt, dash of olive oil and a squeeze of the 2 lemon quarters into the water and add the lemon pieces in as well.
5. Place a steaming basket on top of the larger pot and assemble the artichokes to stand upright, and the smaller stem pieces.
6. Part the leaves of each artichoke and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, lemon juice and about a 3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil. Place the lid of the pot/steamer onto the artichokes.
7. Steaming time will vary due to the size of the artichokes, but I would recommend checking your artichokes after 25 - 30 mins to ensure the water from the pot has not completely evaporated, add water if necessary. You will know your artichokes are ready when the leaves come off with a soft tug. If not, leave them to steam for another 10 - 15 minutes and check again. 
8. Serve your artichokes with additional salt, pepper and lemon or dip with melted butter.

Artichokes can be a bit confusing to eat, here is a website that explains it simply:

http://www.oceanmist.com/artichokes/eat-artichoke/

Here are some photos/videos of my process:

Cutting upper part of artichoke leaves

Seasoning the artichokes in steam basket

End result! I'll work on presentation skills next week...

Ratings/Comments:

Price: 4/5

Difficulty: 2/5

Taste: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

(1 being lowest/not good - 5 being highest/best)

The artichokes were somewhat difficult for me to locate (fresh), and I was only able to find one grocer, with a limited number artichokes, after searching 4 others supermarkets! It is probably best to try this recipe when artichokes are in season (when more than one store has them), as then you will have more choice over which ones you buy. Overall artichokes are a tasty, simple, light dish that are lots of fun to eat with your friends/family as an entrée or as a main. This recipe can be improved by serving it in a more attractive way, as well as discarding more of the outer leaves, as they did not really serve much of a purpose. 

- C