I haven’t commented in like 10 years, but I just came here to say: Artichokes are my favorite vegetable, too. Cutting them in two before steaming is brilliant. I can’t wait to try the butter sear, which is also pretty dang brilliant. Yum.
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Steamed Artichokes
I feel like I write about steamed artichokes every spring — wait, actually, every other spring or so. Why? Because they’re a perfect rite of spring, because they’re easy and so impressive, because I love them so much and have loved them so much for so long that I remember sitting with my dad at the dining room table as a kid, slowly pulling off leaves, scraping them with my teeth, and lining the discards up like little green shingles on the edge of my plate and him teaching me how to get to the heart without getting pricked by the thistle-y choke (scoop it out with a spoon, if you were wondering, though not on the table, if you were me, and not allowed near a grown-up’s clean tablecloth, but that’s another story). But this year, I felt like something was missing: A guide for how I do them now. I didn’t think there was anything that interesting to add to the conversation. I mean, they’re just steamed, right?
But when I got a beautiful bundle in my CSA last week, it occurred to me that I was doing them differently now, and mostly because of the pandemic. Where before, I steamed them on the stovetop, this is a whole new method for me. Back then, it was because I needed the stove for something else, or didn’t want to heat the whole house up. And now, it’s mostly because it’s hands-off and doesn’t require me to do anything other than set a timer. This works for large artichokes, tiny ones, all of them. It works every time.
I steam them in an Instant Pot now. If you’ve never used one for steaming vegetables, the process is kind of magical — once they’re done, all of the cooking water (usually infused with lemon and herbs, though here, I just use lemon) is still in the bottom, and you can pluck out the bright green, still-intact vegetables. The artichokes come out perfectly tender every time, even the big ones. But what if you don’t have an Instant Pot? Or what if you want to steam more than it can hold? I’ve still got you. I’ve included directions for stovetop steaming too.
The only thing I ever serve with an artichoke is melted butter with a little lemon. It’s perfect and I don’t think it needs anything else. It’s what I grew up with, and it’s what I still love.
Steamed Artichokes
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 globe artichokes
- 1 to 2 lemons, halved
- Water for steaming
- Melted butter, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the artichokes: Using a serrated knife, slice 1-inch from the top of each artichoke. Pull off any small, tough lower leaves. Using kitchen shears, snip off the thorny tips of the remaining leaves. Rub cut sides with lemon to prevent browning. You can peel the stem or not; I usually do not.
- For Instant Pot steaming (or other pressure cooker): Place the steamer rack in the bottom of your Instant Pot. Pour in 1 cup of water and squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. Place the lemon halves in the water. Arrange the artichokes on top of the rack. Lock the lid in place and set the vent to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 to 15 minutes (10 minutes for small or medium, 15 for large). Once cooking is complete, allow for a 10-minute natural pressure release before carefully opening the vent to release any remaining pressure. Transfer artichokes to a plate.
- For stovetop steaming: Use a pot large enough to hold the artichokes while allowing it to be covered. Place a steamer basket in the bottom of the pot. Pour in about 1-inch of water (it should not reach the bottom of the steamer basket). Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon and place the lemon halves in the water. Arrange the artichokes in the steamer basket. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and steam for 25 to 45 minutes, or until a lower leaf pulls away easily.
- Serve: Serve artichokes hot or warm with melted butter for dipping.
Notes
