I read once to add olive oil and garlic (I toss in a frozen cube from Trader Joe’s) to the steaming water for halved/quartered artichokes. I think it adds to the flavor! And I am VERY excited about not needing to remove the choke before cooking.
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Steamed Artichokes
I cannot be the only person who spent the entire ’80s and ’90s afraid of the artichoke. I wasn’t sure how to pick one, cook one, or eat one, and it just seemed like too much fuss anyway, too many leaves and too little “good part” and too much opportunity for error. My parents never cooked them so I never ate them and that was that.
A few weeks ago, I made a broccolini recipe that called for blanching a whole head of garlic until soft, then slipping the cloves out of their paper and mashing them into a sauce. I was shocked by how well it worked, and decided immediately it would also make a great way to soften garlic for artichoke dipping butter.
Which, it does. In fact, it makes the best, creamiest garlic butter for artichokes I’ve ever had, and it’s so simple. The artichokes themselves are steamed, another simple technique, and together, it’s a revelation. If you’re artichoke-curious and want to try them without fuss, this is the place to begin.
Steamed Artichokes
Steamed Artichokes
Ingredients
artichokes
lemon, halved
whole
head garlic
tablespoons (1/2 stick)
unsalted butter
teaspoon
fine sea salt
black pepper to taste
Instructions
Notes
Do ahead: Artichokes can be steamed in advance, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or briefly in the steamer. Garlic butter can be made ahead and reheated gently as well.
See also: My first ever artichoke recipe, roasted artichokes
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