Artichoke Recipe

Since I have already talked about Artichokes here I thought I would share how I prepare artichokes at home. It is a pretty basic recipe and can be prepared in many ways once you get the hang of them and know what you like.

I start off with the largest one I can find in the store. I have only started this season cooking them and I was lucky to start at the height of the season (summertime) so I haven’t had to worry too much about picking a good one. The ones I have picked so far have all had pretty tight heads and have been about the size of 2 fists. Although they are really easy to cook, it can take a bit of time.
Start with a large pot, large enough that when you put the artichoke in it, it is almost if not fully submerged. Bring the water to a boil. With a sharp knife, cut off the stem of the artichoke right at the base.
Slowly drop the artichoke base down into the water. Be careful not to burn yourself with the splash. It will look almost like it is sitting up. Place a lid on it partially. The artichoke may not be able to fully submerge depending on your pot and that is OK, as long as the majority of it is in the water. For the large ones, I boil them anywhere from 35-55 minutes. Around 35 minutes, check to see how it is doing. With tongs, try to pull one of the inner leaves out/up. If it is still really tough to impossible to do, keep cooking. If it is close to coming out, check that leaf and see if it is to your liking. If not, keep cooking. Note, that the inside leaves will be just slightly softer than the outer leaves. I would check the artichoke about every 5-8 minutes after that until you get the hang of it. As once you have overcooked it, there is no coming back.
Once the leaves are as cooked as you want them, remove the artichoke from the water and drain it out upside down. Let cool.
For the aioli, grab a small (or not so small, depending on how much you want) bowl. I use Veganaise as the base for mine but you can use regualar mayo if you want. Scoop out a couple of table spoons into the bowl. Add in, about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 clove of finely chopped garlic. Stir and salt and pepper to taste.
Grab a bowl for the discarded leaves, a seat and enjoy.

If you have never eaten artichokes here is a quick lesson. Pull off a leaf, pulling up from the base and scrape off the inner “meat” of the leaves. As you get closer there will be some leaves that don't have much on them. Pull these off. You will then get to the covering of the heart as shown here.
Take a knife and carve this area out. Make sure to not get any of the fibers stuck to the heart. These little hairs can get stuck in your thought and irritate you for hours. The finished product should look something the the below picture here. This is the yummy prize. Dip it in the rest of your sauce and enjoy!!