How To Cook A Whole Artichoke And Eat It Safely

Artichokes can seem like one of the more intimidating vegetables in the produce aisle. Unlike the accessible canned and jarred variety, fresh artichokes offer plenty of prickly problems — literally, in this case. Essentially an edible thistle, the veggie often comes adorned with thorn-tipped leaves and a hairy choke that protects the heart, a sweet, tender base. This artichoke heart and the parts of the leaves that touch it make all the prepping, cooking, and peeling that comes before totally worth it. Much of the flavorful appeal of artichokes comes from cynarin, a magical chemical compound that makes everything else you eat or drink — even water — taste sweeter. 

So, how do I go about getting a fresh artichoke ready for a grand edible undressing? First, a raw artichoke must be rinsed and trimmed before it can be cooked. From there, I select one of two main slow cooking methods: steaming or roasting. After that, I keep things simple and pair my cooked artichoke with a two-ingredient dip, an umami-rich accompaniment for the mellow sweetness you can taste in every tender leaf end and heart segment.

Where does my artichoke expertise come from? I've been making and eating this fresh delicacy since I was a kid, having been introduced to it by my California-born artichoke queen mother. From my very first taste of its nuanced flavor, artichokes have remained my favorite dish. It's what I make for my own birthday dinner every year and it is the one menu item I will order without a second thought. Simply put, it's my greatest culinary obsession. 

When it comes to the general equipment for cooking artichokes, you need very little to get started. For the process of trimming, a sharp knife, kitchen sheers, and a cutting board should be more than enough to help you get rid of the dry and prickly elements. If you decide to steam your artichoke, you'll want a large pot with a tight-fitting lid (preferably wide and tall enough to handle several globe artichokes) and a steamer basket (preferably made of sturdy metal, not silicone). For the roasting method, a roll of tin foil and a sheet pan is all you need. 

As for ingredients, this, too, is a short and simple list. Before you cook your artichokes, you'll want fresh lemon or citric acid for acidulation (more on that later). Specifically for the roasted artichokes, a bit of olive oil and some fresh garlic are also necessary. Finally, for the two types of dip that I like to serve my artichokes with, I like to work with one rich element and one aromatic element. For the first dip, I combine mayonnaise with a Creole seasoning blend (Tony Chachere's was the top choice at my house). In the case of the second, I blend a few tablespoons of butter with a bit of chopped garlic (the dip of choice for the mayonnaise haters in my family). 

When shopping for a fresh, healthy artichoke, look for tightly packed leaves that are verdant green (or dark purple) in color. A quick squeeze will show you if there's a lot of space in between the leaves. The fresh ones will also feel heavier, as they've retained their moisture. Bad artichokes, on the other hand, will look dry, brown, and wiggle with plenty of excess space. 

Though you can typically find the vegetable all year round in the produce section of your grocery store, they'll be bigger and better during their harvesting season in spring. Keep in mind that most of this information is in reference to mature globe artichokes, not baby artichokes. Mature yet petite baby artichokes are a delicacy that is enjoyed best through grilling, frying, or sautéing (and a whole other can of worms in regards to prep and cooking). 

If you don't plan to cook your artichokes immediately, store them in the refrigerator to help preserve their freshness. 

After thoroughly rinsing and scrubbing your artichoke (to remove a bitter film), you'll want to chop the woody stem down to the very base of the artichoke. Though the stem is edible, it has a fibrous, stringy texture that's less than pleasant to chew on. Next, slice the very top of your artichoke to remove a section of inedible and thorny tips. As an aside, they do make thornless varieties of artichokes, but many chefs (and ardent amateurs like myself) find that the thorny types have a better flavor. 

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Pull or slice away any tough or dry exterior leaves to get to the more tender ones near the center. To remove more thorns, use a pair of kitchen shears to snip the tops of the leaves that are lower down on the vegetable. 

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To keep your artichokes from turning an unpleasant brown color during the cooking process, you'll want to rub them with lemon wedges or drizzle some fresh lemon juice over them. If you don't have any lemons on hand, add a bit of citric acid or vinegar to water to create an acidulated water bath. Then submerge your artichokes into the water to get the same effect. 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently work apart the leaves of your artichoke, especially around the center cavity. You should be able to open a shaft to the center choke area. 

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Place one small, peeled clove of garlic into the opened shaft (this will help perfume your roasted artichoke during the cooking process). If you want to add even more flavor, you can also add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary. I like to keep it simple with the garlic so that the artichoke is able to shine. Next, drizzle the entire artichoke with a tablespoon of olive oil. 

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Tightly wrap your artichoke in aluminum foil and place it onto a baking sheet. You don't want the artichoke to be able to leak any excess moisture from within the tin foil wrap, as this will dry out the vegetable.

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Roast your artichoke for approximately one hour to one hour and 20 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of your artichoke, with larger, thicker artichokes taking nearly an hour and a half to become tender. 

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To check for doneness, remove the pan from the oven and gently peel apart the tin foil wrapping (use oven mitts to protect yourself from any scalding heat). Next, use tongs to work out one of the outer leaves. If the leaf comes away easily and is soft at the end, your artichoke is ready to be served. Roasted artichokes will have a slightly more intense taste than steamed artichokes, as the exterior gets a bit more charring flavor. 

Place a steamer basket in your pot and add about an inch of water. There should be enough water, but not so much that it begins to overflow onto the steamer. If it does, you'll be boiling your artichokes rather than steaming them. 

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Place artichokes in the steamer basket in the pot. If you have trouble closing the lid on your artichokes, trim the tops down further. It's important that the lid fits tightly onto the pot so that precious steam isn't lost during the cooking process. Heat the pot on medium-high on your stovetop, until the water comes to a boil (this should take about 10 minutes). 

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Once the water begins to boil, reduce the temperature and allow it to simmer for an hour and 20 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes. Again, the length of the cooking time depends on how large your artichokes are. If it's looking like it'll need a long steam, make sure that you don't boil off all of the water at the bottom. Add a half cup of water to the pot if you think the levels are getting too low. 

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To check for doneness, use tongs to gently pry apart a leaf from the exterior. If it comes away easily and is soft enough to bite the meat off the end, it's ready to be served. If still tough, steam for 10 to 20 minutes more, then test again. Steamed artichokes have a more mild flavor than roasted artichokes, as it doesn't take on the slight caramelization that the roasted ones do. 

Before you serve up your artichoke, prepare your side sauce. My preferred dip is a few tablespoons of mayonnaise laced with a half teaspoon of spicy, salty Creole seasoning. Any seasoning blend would work, just make sure it doesn't make the mayo too salty. Alternatively, I'll melt a few tablespoons of salted butter and stir in a clove of freshly chopped garlic. (Add in a dash of lemon if you want to make it a true Spicy Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce.) If you're a true gourmand, a fast blender hollandaise would also be delicious. But it's not necessary to enjoy the pleasures of an artichoke. Now comes the eating. 

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First, let your cooked artichoke cool for roughly five to 10 minutes. As the artichoke is a tightly packed bud, it's trapping quite a bit of steam and heat within, so you can easily burn your fingers during the peeling process if you're not careful. Beginning with the outermost leaves, drag your teeth along the bottom part of the leaf, scraping up as much of the sweet meat as you can. You can dip your leaves into the spiced mayonnaise or garlic butter, which incorporates a touch of salt and richness into the process. As you continue to eat, the leaves will get more and more tender until you reach the tiniest, almost translucent interior leaves. Under this last bit is the prickly, hairy choke. Yes, it looks like the mouth of a sandworm in "Dune." Using a spoon or your fingers, you can scrape or pull these feathery tendrils from the heart with ease. 

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With the choke removed, you can finally get the true prize of the dish, the tender and delectable heart. It's basically the concentrated form of the little bits of meat you've been scraping from the outer leaves. You can cut it into squares or triangles to dip it into your sauce for neat bites. Or — since your hands are already messy anyway — you can tear into it sans utensils. 

These two methods I've outlined are the simplest ways to enjoy a whole fresh artichoke, but there are many other ways you can try this Italian staple. Chefs have been known to grill, pan-sear, and sauté fresh artichokes as well, though these methods often require way more prep. While a steamed or roasted artichoke is rich enough to be enjoyed on its own, you can easily serve them with a protein that's complemented by their earthy sweetness, such as a leg of lamb or bright lemon or tangerine chicken. Even a medium-rare steak would work as a nice pairing with the tasty thistle.  

Of course, if even a simple steamed artichoke seems too fussy a recipe for you, you can always rely on canned, jarred, and frozen artichokes as a delicious shortcut to numerous recipes. Canned, marinated artichokes are particularly versatile, lending themselves to dips, casseroles, and pasta sauces. But if you want to have a true understanding of the pure artichoke flavor, I recommend you give its plain steamed or roasted incarnation a try.