The Musette: Artichokes

Posted on 20/03/2021 by

29 Comments

I can imagine, that if you didn’t grow up eating globe artichokes, and if you were encountering them for the first time, they might seem a little intimidating!

Top 8 Health Benefits of Artichokes and Artichoke Extract

The artichoke is actually the bud of a thistle – a flower. The leaves cover a fuzzy centre called the “choke”, which sits on top of a meaty core, called the “heart”. The heart is completely edible and amazingly delicious. The fuzzy choke is too fibrous to eat in regular artichokes, but edible in baby artichokes. All but the innermost leaves are tough and you have to scrape them with your teeth to eat the tender parts.

You can boil, grill, braise, or stuff and bake artichokes. But my favorite way to cook artichokes, and the easiest way to cook them, is to steam them. I find that boiling artichokes tends to make them water-logged,  but steaming artichokes cooks them with just the right amount of moisture. I also love baby artichokes raw in a sald. You just have to slice them thinly on a mandoline, tossed in vinagrette and decorated with parmesan curls.

As a child on holidays in France I would always order artichokes. I loved the fact you ate them with your fingers. I still love them and now fortunately live in an area where they are plentiful all year round.To be honest, I like them best with a vinaigrette (recipe below) along with three further sauces which I think beautifully compliment artichokes.

Lemon and Classic Vinaigrettes

A well-made vinaigrette is a thing of beauty!

Don’t believe the hype that every vinaigrette recipe should have one part acid to three parts oil. This more assertive ratio brings a lot more flavor to the table. Emulsify 2-parts extra virgin olive oil with one-part freshly squeezed organic lemon juice and season to taste.

Artichokes Vinaigrette | Rachael Ray In Season

Alternatively, on older (and bigger) artichokes, I prefer a more classic vinagrette where you emulsify a small shallot, 3-parts extra virgin olive oil with 1-part freshly squeezed organic lemon juice (or good quality vinegar), 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp runny honey, salt and pepper to taste.

Bagna Cauda

Artichokes with Bagna Cauda | From Scratch Fast | Recipes from scratch for busy cooks!

Peel four fat garlic cloves and bring to a gentle simmer in 100g (10 tbsp) milk. Discard the milk and blend the garlic with a drained tin of anchovies. While the blender is on, dribble in 100g (10 tbsp) virgin olive oil and 100g (10 tbsp) melted butter. Heat gently in a saucepan and then keep warm.

Salsa Verde

artichoke hearts w/ salsa verde - fork and flower

Pulse together a large handful of basil and a small bunch of parsley and mint, along with a fat peeled garlic clove, 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar, 2 tbsp drained capers and six anchovies. Add extra-virgin olive oil and blend until you have a soft scoopable consistency.

Whipped Feta

Healthy Whipped Feta Artichoke Dip - Lively Table

Blend 10 tbsp feta cheese with a little greek-style yogurt and the juice and grated zest of an unwaxed organic lemon until the mix is smooth, light and speckled with yellow.

Sheree’s Handy Hints

Here are a few guidelines for what to look for when shopping for artichokes:

  • Choose artichokes that feel heavy when you pick them up. If they feel light, they’re probably a bit dried out and not as meaty as they should be.
  • If you squeeze the artichoke, the leaves should “squeak”. This is another way you can tell the artichoke is fresh.
  • The leaves should be closed with just a little separation, not flayed wide open. Remember an artichoke is a flower bud, as it ages, the leaves open up. So an artichoke with wide open leaves may be on the old side.
  • “Frost kissed” is a-okay. If an artichoke looks like it has been burned by frost, no worries. In fact, these less-than-beautiful artichokes can taste even better than those not touched by frost and often command a premium price because of it.

Category: Food and Wine, Non vegan dishes, The Musette Recipes, Vegan dishesTags: , ,

29 Comments on “The Musette: Artichokes”

  1. There wee some in the greengrocers today, now if I had know you were going to write a blog about them I would have bought one! I have never tried them I’m sorry to say.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. Globe artichokes are rather like a weed here at the coast of North Norfolk. Everyone has them in their gardens but more for the beautiful big blue flower than for eating. But of course, at every dinner invitation, you get them with a dip. Now we know we will serve them with whipped feta next time.
    Thanks for sharing
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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  5. I haven’t had an artichoke since I was a child. My mother made them to go with Sunday dinner. The Whipped Feta sounds lovely. Thanks for the recipe.

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. I absolutely love artichokes! In Italy they stuff them with goats cheese, garlic and parsley and drench them in olive oil before cooking them 😋

    Liked by 2 people

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  13. Pingback: The Musette: roasted artichoke salad – View from the Back

  14. I love artichoke dip but have never cooked them at home, we buy the hearts canned. Now that I read your facts about them I may give them a try. Thank you Sheree!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Pingback: The Musette: Vignarola – View from the Back

  16. Pingback: The Musette: artichoke salad – View from the Back

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