Never cooked or eaten a fresh artichoke? ‘Tis the season to start!
Artichokes are the flower buds of giant thistles. They’ve been cultivated in Italy for 2,000 years, and they’re available at most Co‑op Food Stores. Globe artichokes are the most common variety and a great place to start.
Think of the artichoke as a veggie-forward, interactive version of chips and dip. Once steamed, you pull away artichoke petals (also called leaves) one at a time, dipping in your favourite dip and scraping the tender inner flesh off the tougher petals with your teeth. Eventually, you’ll get to the tasty heart, which is a delicious finale. The only inedible parts are the tough outer edges of the petals and the fuzzy “choke” at the centre.
Artichokes need trimming to prepare for cooking:
- Trim the cut end of the stem.
- Trim about an inch off the pointy top of the flower bud.
- If the ends of the petals are thorny, trim about a half-inch from each one with kitchen scissors.
Artichokes brown easily when exposed to air. Don’t forget to rub the cut edges with lemon or dip in 2 cups of water mixed with the juice of one lemon.
More than one way to cook an artichoke
The classic way to prepare an artichoke is to steam it whole for about 30 to 45 minutes. The time required depends on the size; a jumbo artichoke may need to be steamed for 60 minutes. It’s done when you can easily pull one of the outer petals from the base or when the inside of the stem is tender. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the choke.
If you want to stuff a whole artichoke, go in from the top. Remove the centre leaves, pull out the little pocket containing the choke and then fill the cup surrounded by the edible petals and the heart with your favourite meat sauce or cheesy filling.
Pre-steam artichokes ahead of time and then reheat on the grill, roast in the oven or air fry. You can also oven roast raw artichokes – just trim, halve, remove the choke, rub them with lemon juice, then rub with olive oil, fill the cavity with chopped garlic and mixed fresh herbs, then place cut-side down in a pan and roast at 375°F for 40 minutes. You can also pan roast them like Chef Dale MacKay does when he makes Spiced Pork Roast with Artichokes.
Tips for artichoke dips
Once your artichokes are properly prepared, they’re excellent for dipping. We recommend starting here:
- Hollandaise sauce (the traditional choice)
- Tzatziki
- Melted garlic butter with a squeeze of lemon
- Mayonnaise or garlic aioli
- Honey mustard
- MORE: Spinach Artichoke Cauliflower Pizza
- MORE: Crispy Artichokes with Tomato-Caper Aioli
- MORE: Linguine with Artichokes & Pesto
