Steamed Artichokes With Herb Caper Mayonnaise Food

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH HERB AIOLI

Steps:

• Cut off the top inch of leaves from the artichokes. Remove the outer layer of small, tough leaves from the stem end. Snip all remaining spiky tips from the outer leaves. Cut off and discard the stems.
• Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the artichokes. Cover and steam until tender, adding more hot water as necessary, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Whisk mayonnaise, herbs, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Serve with the artichokes.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES AND ROASTED GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut off the bottom stems of the artichokes with a serrated knife and rub the artichoke bottoms with the lemon. Cut about 2 inches off the top of the artichoke, drizzle some lemon juice over the top as well.
• Optional: Using kitchen scissors, snip off prickly ends of each leaf for easier enjoyment later.
• Place the artichokes in a steamer and steam 40 to 50 minutes, or until the bottoms are tender when pierced and the leaves pulls out easily. When it's done, quickly plunge into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and drain.
• While steaming the artichokes, prepare the garlic for the sauce: Cut off top of garlic bulb (enough to expose tops of most garlic cloves). Drizzle enough olive oil over the cut cloves to drench the top and sides, sprinkle a pinch of salt as well. Wrap foil around the garlic bulb and seal at the top. Roast in 400 degree oven (I use my little toaster oven) for about 30-40 minutes until soft and roasted, browned around the tops and edges is a good indicator. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves from their bulbs by pressing with your hands from the bottom of the bulbs to the top (cut side) into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise and sour cream, and stir with fork to blend well. Add salt if needed and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• To eat the artichoke, pull the leaves and dip the bottom tender part into the sauce, pull the tender "meat" with your teeth on the bottom part of the leaves, don't eat (discard) the rough tops. Towards the inside you can bite off more of the tender bottoms of the leaves. Towards the heart of the artichoke, you will see pins and needle-like fuzzy stuff which you can scrape off with a spoon, then you can eat the best part of all, the center or "heart" of the artichoke.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH HERB-CAPER MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl; season herb mayonnaise with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Place steamer rack in large pot. Add just enough water to touch bottom of rack. Place artichokes on rack. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and steam until artichokes are tender when base is pierced with small sharp knife, adding more water to pot as needed, about 50 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Leave artichokes in uncovered steamer; let stand at room temperature. Resteam until heated through.
• Place artichokes on plates; cool 10 minutes. Serve with herb mayonnaise.

STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH MAYONNAISE-MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Place one to two inches of water into a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and whole peppercorns to the water.
• Insert the steaming basket and place artichokes and trimmed stems inside the basket. If you don't have a steamer, it also works to place the artichokes directly into the water, bottoms down.
• With lid off, heat until water boils, then put lid on and turn heat down to low to maintain a simmer.
• Steam or simmer for 25-30 minutes or until a sharp knife can easily pierce bottoms of the artichokes near the stems. To be sure, test them all. Larger artichokes will take longer to cook. Remove hot artichokes from the pot with tongs.
• To make the sauce: Mix about one part of yellow mustard into six parts of good mayonnaise. The sauce should be light yellow and not taste like either mayonnaise or mustard, but like a new sauce all its own. Add more of either ingredient as needed to get the "new" sauce.

10 ARTICHOKE DIPPING SAUCES

Steps:

• Mix together in a small bowl and serve.