Steamed Artichokes

Published: April 25, 2024

I feel like you can learn a lot about a person from their relationship with artichokes. They are one of the most tedious things you can eat, the reward often meager, but for people who like them, there is just no getting enough. They’re kind of a metaphor, aren’t they? For anything in life that requires a lot of hard work for a very small pleasure. Except, that I think the pleasure of artichokes isn’t actually all that small, it’s just that you have to work for it. You have to be patient, you have to be precise, you have to scrape things with your teeth. What a weird thing to make a part of your life.

Because they are and have always been my very favorite vegetable. It began at a very young age. My parents like to tell a story about me, at two, refusing to eat any more of my toddler meal and instead asking for the artichoke they were eating. I devoured it. I’ve always been drawn to them. When my mom and I would go to the farmer’s market, if the vendor wasn’t looking, I’d peel and eat a few outer leaves right there. A little raw, yes, a little fibrous, but still, to this day, my favorite part: the bottom, innermost leaves. They’re the tenderest and have the least amount of scrape-able meat, so you have to be precise. But when you get it, it’s all sweet and grassy. Perfection.

A few weeks ago, I made some artichokes and shared a small video of me cleaning them on instagram and the amount of emails and questions about steaming them was unexpected but lovely. People who had never cooked them before, people who had only ever bought them pre-cooked (!!) and people who’ve had them a thousand times, just needed a refresher on the basics. This is it. This is everything I know about steaming an artichoke.

All the artichoke things:

• How to pick one: Look for leaves that are tightly closed and dark green, no black/brown spots or dried-out bits. If they’re looking dull and dusty, don’t bother. If you gently squeeze the leaves, it should make a squeaky sound. If the leaves are open and splayed, they’re past their prime, probably fibrous and bitter.
• Size: Small and medium ones are often more tender and less fibrous than larger ones, but I like them all. Just adjust your cooking time.
• Storage: Store them in a plastic bag in the fridge and use within a week.
• To clean them: See my video here if it helps more than words. Wash them well. Peel back and snap off any tough, outer leaves until you get to leaves that feel a little more tender and have a light green break. Don’t go too far! You want as many leaves as possible. Cut off the top 1/2 to 1 inch of the artichoke (top, where all the leaf points are). Trim the stem so that the artichoke can stand upright in your steamer, but leave some of it on. You’ll be able to eat some of the stem (and it’s delicious!) if it’s cooked right. I usually trim off any brown bits from the stem, sometimes peel it lightly if it’s dark green and feels fibrous. If you’re really Type A, you can use kitchen shears to snip off any poky tips of the leaves, but I never do. If you’re cooking many at once, keep them submerged in cold water until you’re ready to cook so they don’t turn brown.
• The choke: It’s the fuzzy part nestled between the edible leaves and the heart. You cannot eat it. It’s not harmful, but it’s definitely unpleasant and will choke you (hence the name). You can remove it raw (I use a spoon or melon baller after pulling away the purple-tipped leaves from the very center) but I find it much easier to remove after it’s cooked. You’ll pull it off with those small purple leaves (which are also not edible, just for looks) at the very end of eating it.
• To steam: Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with 1 to 2 inches of water, enough that it doesn’t boil dry but not so much that it touches the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring it to a rolling boil. Place the cleaned artichokes upright in the steamer basket. Cover the pot tightly and reduce heat to a simmer.

• Cooking time: It depends on the size. Small ones (baseball-sized) will take 20 to 25 minutes. Medium (softball-sized) will take 25 to 35 minutes. Large ones (grapefruit-sized) will take 35 to 45 minutes. They’re ready when a knife inserted into the stem meets no resistance and an outer leaf easily pulls off.
• Seasoning: You can add a squeeze of lemon and some salt to the cooking water. You can also add some bay leaves or a garlic clove to the water for flavor, though I find it doesn’t impact the artichoke flavor much.
• To serve: Once cooked, transfer to a rack or colander to drain upside down. Serve warm or at room temperature. You eat them by pulling off an outer leaf, dipping the base of it in whatever sauce you’re using, and then scraping the tender bottom portion of the leaf with your teeth. When you get to the small, purple-tipped leaves in the center, pull them off and discard them. You’ll be left with the fuzzy choke underneath. Scrape it away with a spoon or your knife until you’re left with the smooth, pale green artichoke heart, the most delicious part of all.

• Sauces: I am a strictly melted butter and sea salt girl. (Especially if the butter is browned or garlic-herb butter.) But I’ve also enjoyed them with pimento cheese, my mother’s French potato salad vinaigrette, aioli, mayonnaise mixed with a little pesto or herbs, or a little olive oil with lemon and salt.
• How to know if they’re bad: If they smell a little musty or moldy, the leaves are splayed and brown, or the stem is shriveled and dark, it’s past its prime. Toss it.
• Do ahead: You can steam them ahead and store them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently in a steamer (5 to 10 minutes) or microwave, or serve them at room temperature.