How to Cook Artichokes

I didn’t start eating artichokes until I met my wife. We had them maybe twice a year around Easter time. When we went to Italy, we had them a little more frequently. They were a nice-to-have, but I didn’t really fall in love with them until I moved to California.

When I moved, I was by myself for three months. I got artichokes at the farmer’s market because I was shocked to see they had them. I called my wife to ask her how to cook them, and she said to just salt them and steam them. I started off with a little salt and 45 minutes of steaming them. They were okay, but I knew I could do better.

I started cooking them twice a week, so I gradually added more salt and steamed them for longer. I eventually arrived at a lot of salt and 1.5 hours of steaming. I’ve gotten pretty good at cooking artichokes, and we’ve continued to eat them most weeks for the last four years. Fun fact: I’ve had more artichokes in the last year than my father-in-law has in his whole life (and he’s a member of the Ocean Mist Artichoke Club!).

I became quite efficient at steaming artichokes, so I figured I would share my usual recipe here. I would encourage anyone to modify this recipe to their liking. And don’t forget to share your modifications or your own recipe in the comments!

Ingredients:

1. Artichokes (Whatever size you like)
2. Salt (a lot, proportional to the size and number of artichokes)
3. Olive Oil
4. Balsamic Vinegar

Steps:

Step 1: Prepare the Artichokes

1. Wash them.
2. Cut the tops and bottoms off.
3. Trim some of the leaves off.
4. Trim the stems (optional).

Some people throw the stem away, but I cut off the outside of it because the inside still tastes good when cooked. It is slightly more bitter than the rest.

Step 2: Seasoning

1. Place artichokes with opening facing upwards.
2. Add a thick layer of salt (2 large pinches) per artichoke.
3. Drip water on them to push the salt down, but not too much water.
4. Add a thick layer of salt (2 large pinches) per artichoke.
5. Drizzle olive oil on the tops.
6. Add another layer of salt (1 large pinch) per artichoke.

Step 3: Prepare the Pot

1. Get a large pot with a lid.
2. Put a steam basket in the pot.
3. Fill water until just below the steam basket.
4. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar per artichoke into the water.

Step 4: Cook!

Add the artichokes in the pot. I used to put them opening up, but I recently experimented with putting the opening down, and the result was amazing. A lot of the salt and oil will go down to the water anyways, so by putting them upside down, those bits seep into the artichokes better. The extra bonus is being able to add a little salt on the bottom of the artichoke.

Set on Medium Heat for 1.5 hours

Step 5: Consume

Some people like to dip in mayonnaise, but I usually do just plain.

Oh, how I love artichokes!

I hope you try this recipe during your own cooking adventures. I may be an amateur cook, but since moving to California, cooking has become a big part of my life.

Up Next: making homemade pasta. In case you missed it, here is my article on homemade pasta sauce and my article on brewing espresso.