I cannot be the only person who spent the entire \u201980s and \u201990s afraid of the artichoke. I wasn\u2019t 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 \u201cgood part\u201d and too much opportunity for error. My parents never cooked them so I never ate them and that was that.<\/p>\n A few weeks ago, I made a broccolini recipe<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Which, it does. In fact, it makes the best, creamiest garlic butter for artichokes I\u2019ve ever had, and it\u2019s so simple. The artichokes themselves are steamed, another simple technique, and together, it\u2019s a revelation. If you\u2019re artichoke-curious and want to try them without fuss, this is the place to begin.<\/p>\n Do ahead:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n See also:<\/strong> My first ever artichoke recipe, roasted artichokes<\/a><\/p>\n The post Steamed Artichokes<\/a> appeared first on Smitten Kitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I read once to add olive oil and garlic (I toss in a frozen cube from Trader Joe\u2019s) 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. version ai : Steamed Artichokes I cannot be the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2566","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"Steamed](\"https:\/\/www.smittenkitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Steamed-Artichokes-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nSteamed Artichokes<\/h2>\n
Steamed Artichokes<\/h2>\n
\n
\n 2 to 4 servings<\/span>\n <\/li>\n
\n 10 minutes<\/span>\n <\/li>\n
\n 40 to 60 minutes<\/span>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nIngredients<\/h3>\n
\n <\/span>
\n artichokes<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/span>
\n lemon, halved<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n whole<\/span>
\n head garlic<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n tablespoons (1\/2 stick)<\/span>
\n unsalted butter<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n teaspoon<\/span>
\n fine sea salt<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/span>
\n black pepper to taste<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nInstructions<\/h3>\n
Notes<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.smittenkitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Steamed-Artichokes-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n
Steamed Artichokes<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n 2 to 4<\/span>
\n 1<\/span>
\n 1<\/span>
\n 4<\/span>
\n 1\/2<\/span>
\n Freshly ground<\/span>
\n
\n
\n
Bring a wide, high-sided pot with a steamer insert and lid to a boil with 2 cups of water.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Meanwhile, prepare your artichokes: Pull off any small, tough leaves from the stem end. Slice off the top 1\/2 to 1 inch of the artichoke, then use kitchen shears to snip off the prickly tips of the remaining leaves. Rub any cut parts with lemon to prevent browning. Repeat with remaining artichokes.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Place the artichokes and the head of garlic (no need to peel or separate cloves, just rub off loose paper) in the steamer insert, with the lemon halves face down. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low, steaming for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a bottom leaf can be pulled off easily. When done, lift artichokes out of the steamer and let cool until you can handle them.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Meanwhile, make your dipping butter: Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft pulp from the head into the butter. (The garlic will be very soft and mash easily out of its paper.) Add the salt and pepper to the butter and mash the garlic through the butter until as smooth as possible. You can use the back of a spoon to press the garlic against the bottom of the pan to help it dissolve, and even use a small whisk if you like, to emulsify it slightly.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Serve artichokes with butter for dipping. To eat: Pull off one leaf at a time. Dip the white, fleshy end in the butter. Scrape the soft part of the leaf off with your bottom teeth, discarding the rest of the leaf. When you get to the small, inner purple-tipped leaves, pull them all off. Underneath them is the fuzzy choke; scrape this away with a spoon (it is inedible). What remains is the artichoke heart, which is all edible and glorious. Enjoy!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n 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.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n