D<\/a>!) would bring home artichokes every spring, about a dozen at a time. I\u2019d never had them before. She\u2019d steam them in a big stockpot, and we\u2019d each get two or three, served with lemon butter or mayonnaise. It was the most glamorous-feeling, ritualistic, slow, messy meal I\u2019d ever been a part of. We would laugh and talk and pick and scrape for what felt like hours, maybe to get to the choke, maybe just because it stretched out our conversation. It was just the best. <\/p>\nI feel like it\u2019s a meal people don\u2019t do enough. Or maybe it\u2019s just me? My kids, ages 10 and 15, had never had them until a few weeks ago, when I picked up two from the market on a whim, remembering those dinners. I wasn\u2019t sure they\u2019d go for it, but they loved them. My 15-year-old was particularly taken, and I sent him to buy three more the next week. He and my husband polished off two, and I ate the third alone the next day for lunch. <\/p>\n
![\"Steamed](\"https:\/\/smittenkitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/steamed-artichokes-2-800x1200.jpg\")
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There is nothing complicated about steaming artichokes. You just need a vessel (steamer basket in a big pot or instant pot), water, a lemon half, maybe a bay leaf, and that\u2019s it. They\u2019re done when a leaf pulls off easily from the stem. It takes 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of your artichoke. It\u2019s hard to tell from the outside how big a choke (the fuzzy, inedible part) is inside, so it\u2019s something you learn to eye. You can also boil or pressure cook them, but steaming is the most hands-off, fail-proof way. <\/p>\n
I almost always serve them with lemon-garlic butter for dipping. I just melt butter, add a minced or grated clove of garlic, and a heavy squeeze of lemon juice. If I\u2019m in a more mayonnaise-y mood, I\u2019ll whisk lemon juice, a dash of vinegar, and a lot of black pepper into mayo for a dip. Either way, you just can\u2019t go wrong. <\/p>\n
![\"Steamed](\"https:\/\/smittenkitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/steamed-artichokes-3-800x1200.jpg\")
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And yes, you absolutely can eat artichokes. It\u2019s a very common question! You peel off the individual leaves, scrape the tender flesh from the base of the leaf with your teeth, discarding the fibrous top half of the leaf. Once you get to the light green, small, spiky leaves in the center, scrape them off, too, and then use a spoon to scrape away the hairy choke. What remains is the artichoke heart, which is all edible. It\u2019s delicious. This is the part that often comes canned or jarred in brine or oil. It\u2019s great fresh. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I do.<\/p>\n
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![\"Steamed](\"https:\/\/smittenkitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/steamed-artichokes-1-800x1200.jpg\")
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