Steamed Artichokes
Too full from lunch or too stressed from finals week to eat? Grab some of these ugly flower things and enjoy them steamed.
INGREDIENTS (one artichoke per person):
1 tpsn sea salt
Artichokes
Lemon halved
1: BOIL WATER
Do you have a steamer? Good. If you don't have a steamer, you can do it too, I promise. Either way, you need to boil some water first. Put in some lemon juice and salt for taste.
2: ARTICHOKE PREPARATION
Wash your artys thoroughly. Pick off the hard leaves that are poking out. Cut the stem so the arty can sit upright on its own. Now cut 1/3 off the top of the entire artichoke. This should give you a nice view into the inside of it. Trim the outer leaves that you missed while cutting, so all leaves do not end on a point. Rub a slice of the lemon on these edges to prevent discoloration from steaming.
3: STEAMING
Steamer: place the artys on the basket on their sides and cover for 30 minutes. If you have a sweet grandmother like me, you have a hand-me-down gigantic steamer and can fit all of them in there.
No steamer: use a large pot with boiling water and place the artichokes directly in there. It doesn't matter what angle they sit, they will float with the water. If you have a small lid, you should place them directly over the artys to keep them submerged while boiling. If not, cover it normally. Let them cook at a high simmer on stove until they are tender, or for about 30 minutes.
4: SERVE AND DIP
After thirty minutes, they should be finished. If you've never eaten an artichoke from the bushel directly, you must know to bite the bottom of the leaf - that's where the "meat" is. The deeper you go into the bushel, the more "meat." Also, scrape your teeth on the leaf above the meaty part, that has a lot of good stuff on it too. Basically it feels like you're eating a big juicy leaf - which you are - but damn, it is good with some sauce. My dad likes to dip them in ranch. You can also melt some butter or olive oil and put a little seasoning in it (like bread dipping oil) for a nice, thin sauce if you want to feel a little classier than Hidden Valley.
The heart is the best part. It is located at the base of the bushel. Sometimes you get jipped and get a bushel with only hair, but most times underneath that hairy looking stuff is a big juicy heart - wait, am I talking about men or artichokes? Anyways, cut that heart (ouch) into fourths and eat the whole damn thing.
Enjoy!
1: BOIL WATER
Do you have a steamer? Good. If you don't have a steamer, you can do it too, I promise. Either way, you need to boil some water first. Put in some lemon juice and salt for taste.
2: ARTICHOKE PREPARATION
Wash your artys thoroughly. Pick off the hard leaves that are poking out. Cut the stem so the arty can sit upright on its own. Now cut 1/3 off the top of the entire artichoke. This should give you a nice view into the inside of it. Trim the outer leaves that you missed while cutting, so all leaves do not end on a point. Rub a slice of the lemon on these edges to prevent discoloration from steaming.
3: STEAMING
Steamer: place the artys on the basket on their sides and cover for 30 minutes. If you have a sweet grandmother like me, you have a hand-me-down gigantic steamer and can fit all of them in there.
No steamer: use a large pot with boiling water and place the artichokes directly in there. It doesn't matter what angle they sit, they will float with the water. If you have a small lid, you should place them directly over the artys to keep them submerged while boiling. If not, cover it normally. Let them cook at a high simmer on stove until they are tender, or for about 30 minutes.
4: SERVE AND DIP
After thirty minutes, they should be finished. If you've never eaten an artichoke from the bushel directly, you must know to bite the bottom of the leaf - that's where the "meat" is. The deeper you go into the bushel, the more "meat." Also, scrape your teeth on the leaf above the meaty part, that has a lot of good stuff on it too. Basically it feels like you're eating a big juicy leaf - which you are - but damn, it is good with some sauce. My dad likes to dip them in ranch. You can also melt some butter or olive oil and put a little seasoning in it (like bread dipping oil) for a nice, thin sauce if you want to feel a little classier than Hidden Valley.
The heart is the best part. It is located at the base of the bushel. Sometimes you get jipped and get a bushel with only hair, but most times underneath that hairy looking stuff is a big juicy heart - wait, am I talking about men or artichokes? Anyways, cut that heart (ouch) into fourths and eat the whole damn thing.
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment