Artichokes Boiled Or Steamed Food

STEAMED WHOLE ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Put the parsley, garlic, bay leaves, lemons, wine, oil and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Season the liquid with salt and pepper. In the meantime prepare the artichokes.
• Wash artichokes under cold water. Using a heavy stainless steel knife, cut off the stems close to the base. Pull off the lower petals that are small and tough. Cut off the top inch of the artichoke and rub with half a lemon to preserve the green color. Alternatively, you may put the artichokes in acidulated water. If you wish, trim the thorny tips of the petals with kitchen shears.
• Place the artichokes in the steaming liquid, bottom up. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. The artichokes are done when a knife is inserted into the base and there is no resistance.
• To eat, pull off a leaf and scrape the meat off the tender end with your front teeth. Dip the ends of the leaves in lemon juice and melted butter if desired. When you reach the center cone of purple prickly leaves, remove it. This is the choke that protects the heart. Now, scrape away the thistle fuzz covering the artichoke heart. The heart is the meatiest part of the artichoke. Steamed artichokes may be served hot or cold.

BOILED ARTICHOKE WITH A GARLIC BUTTER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Quarter one of the lemons and add to the pot of boiling water.
• Cut the stems off the artichoke and cut the top inch off from the leaves (optional). You can also use scissors to cut the pointed tips off the leaves if you desire.
• Boil the artichokes for 35 minutes or until you can easily pull away one of the lower leaves.
• Fill individual ramekins with 1 tbsp of butter each and microwave until butter is melted (approximately 30 seconds).
• Stir the garlic paste into the ramekins of butter.
• Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon into the ramekins.
• To eat: pull the leaves off the artichoke, dip in sauce, and scrape the meat off the leaf with your teeth. Once you are out of leaves use a spoon to scrape out the "hair" of the artichoke and then eat the heart of the artichoke (the best part!) by dipping in the butter sauce.
• Enjoy!

EASY STEAMED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Prepare artichokes for steaming: Snap off tough outer leaves. Using a serrated knife, cut off top 1/3 of artichoke. Snip remaining sharp or spiky tips using kitchen shears. Trim stem so artichoke stands upright. Rub cut surfaces with lemon to prevent discoloration. Repeat with remaining artichokes and lemon.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot; add enough water so it reaches just below the basket. Squeeze lemon juice into water and add 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a boil. Place artichokes in steamer basket, stem-side up. Cover pot, and steam until heart is tender when pierced with a tip of a paring knife, and inner leaves pull out easily, 25 to 35 minutes; add more water to pot, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature with Easy Hollandaise or melted butter, if desired.

COOKED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Fill a 2- to 3-quart saucepan three-fourths full of cold water, then whisk in flour, oil, salt, and juice of 1 lemon half. (Do not heat.)
• Cut off stem of 1 artichoke, then trim 1/4 inch from end of stem to expose core. Trim sides of stem down to pale core, then rub with remaining lemon half. Drop stem into water in pan.
• Cut off top 2 inches of leaves from same artichoke with a serrated knife. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves until exposed leaves are pale yellow. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and side of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom. Rub artichoke bottom all over with same lemon half, then drop artichoke bottom into water in pan, putting a sieve or small lid directly on top of artichoke to keep submerged. Prepare other artichoke in same manner.
• Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer artichokes, uncovered, keeping them submerged, until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes for stems and 15 to 20 minutes for bottoms. Transfer as cooked with tongs to a cutting board.
• When artichokes are cool enough to handle, remove pointed inner leaves and fuzzy chokes with a melon-ball cutter or with a small spoon.
• Artichokes can be cooked 1 day ahead and transferred to a bowl with some cooking liquid and 1 cup cold water (to stop the cooking). Cool, then chill in cooled liquid, covered. Drain artichokes before using.

BASIC BOILED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Select a kettle or pot large enough to hold all the artichokes you are cooking. Half fill it with water and set it over high heat to boil. Meanwhile, trim the artichokes.
• Rinse the artichokes, slice the stem off flush with the base so the artichokes will stand level. Rub the cut areas with lemon. Slice off the top inch of each artichoke and rub the cut area with lemon. Using kitchen shears snip off the top half inch of each leaf. Place the artichokes base side down in the boiling water, lower heat to simmer and weight the tops of the artichokes with a dish or pot lid that fits into the pot to keep the artichokes submerged.
• Simmer the artichokes until the base can easily be pierced with a knife point, 20 to 40 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the water and turn upside-down in a collander to drain.

ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Fill the pan with just enough water to cover bottom. Bring to a full boil over high heat. While water is heating, trim and discard the stems and tough outer leaves of artichokes. Tuck slivers of butter and slices of garlic into artichoke leaves.
• When water is boiling, place steamer insert in pot and set artichokes in steamer, stem-side down. Cover pot with lid and allow artichokes to steam for approximately 20 minutes, until tender.

ARTICHOKES BOILED OR STEAMED

Steps:

• Trim off the cut end of the stem of each artichoke and cut off any thorns from the leaves. You can do this easily with a pair of scissors. Plunge the artichokes into abundant rapidly boiling salted water and cook until tender, about 30 minutes for large artichokes. Test for doneness by probing the bottom of the artichoke around the stem with a small sharp knife or skewer. To steam, prepare the artichoke the same way and steam, tightly covered, over rapidly boiling water. Serve with a ramekin of melted butter or homemade mayonnaise-plain or flavored with lemon, garlic, and herbs (see page 47).

ARTICHOKES STEAMED IN THE MICROWAVE

Steps:

• Trim the artichokes by cutting off the stem and cutting off the tips of the leaves. *I often cut them in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the choke but you can skip this step.
• Rub the lemon over all the cut parts of the artichokes so it does not brown.
• Place all 3 of the artichokes upside down in a microwaveable dish with a tight fitting lid. *Try a dinner or salad plate on top of your dish if you do not have a lid that exactly fits.
• *I place them upside down so the water is not collected in the artichokes but they can be placed right side up and then squeezed out later.
• Add the water and cover.
• Cook on high for 11 minutes. Check at about 9 minutes since all ovens are not the same, and pierce the hearts with a fork. If they are soft they are done.
• Drain and serve.