Globe Artichokes
A Globe Artichoke doesn’t exactly fill you up, but it always feels like an event. I’ve given up hoping I’ll ever be the kind of glamorous woman who looks fabulous in shades of creams and taupe, but I’m clinging to the belief eating a Globe Artichoke is the pinnacle of foodie chic.
They did not feature in my childhood which meant when I first met one I wasn’t sure what to do with it. By peeking out the corner of my eye and copying I hope I made a reasonable fist of it. If anyone ever makes a movie of my life I’m sure it would be a cute moment, but, to be perfectly honest, I thought it was a very traumatic experience for very little food …
But anything this theatrical was always going to be something I’d be drawn to. I persevered. It’s fun. If you have the right kind of friends it makes a great relaxed starter. Warm summer day. Long leisurely lunch under the dabbled shade of a pear tree. Chilled white wine … (In this scenario, I’m still twenty-five and wearing floaty white cotton ..)
You have to wonder who the first person was who decided it was worth eating. It doesn’t look promising, does it!
The Globe Artichoke is a member of the thistle family and the big ones come from the top. The little ones, which you find in antipasti, are the ones that grow up the side. When you buy them, look for artichokes which feel heavy and ‘squeaky’.
Snap off the stalks. If you are super clever you can get rid of some of the ‘choke’ (more of that later), but I find that’s a hit and miss affair. They often snap further down the stalk and then you haven’t got enough leverage.
Regardless, level the base. You want your artichoke to sit level on a plate. I rub a cut lemon over the cut surface to prevent it turning brown.
At this point, I put some water on to boil. You need a big stainless steel pan which will snugly hold the artichokes you’re going to cook.
Then, it’s back to the globe artichoke. The only bit which is edible is the fleshy base bit on the leaves and the heart. So, without any angst, cut off the top third.
This is entirely optional, but I tidy my artichokes up. I use my kitchen scissors and cut off the raggedy pointy tops.
It would have been a good idea to have rubbed some lemon on the cut top too, but I didn’t.
By now your water should be boiling and I turn it into a simple court bouillon. That sounds fancy but it’s just water with some ‘flavourings’. Roughly, add 2 teaspoons of salt and the same of white wine vinegar for every 2 pints/1.2 litres of water. Then, I add a glug of white wine and the same of olive oil. The olive oil is there to make the cooked artichoke shiny so it doesn’t need to be multiplied up if you are cooking more. If it hadn’t been raining, I would have added a couple of fresh bay leaves.
Put the lid on, bring back to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. How long it takes to cook depends on the size of the artichoke, so at the end of the half hour it’s worth checking. You do that by pulling on one of the leaves. Since I’ve tidied my artichokes up, I pull on one of the leaves near the top. These aren’t done – so there’s nothing to see.
Flip over and continue cooking. Another 10-15 minutes.
And check again. Give one of the leaves a pull and if it’s cooked it will come away easily.
Place upside down in a colander or big sieve and allow the water to drain away.
Now is the time to make the dipping sauce. It could be something as simple as melted butter, maybe with a bit of lemon. The classic is a vinaigrette and there are endless variations on that. I really like Hollandaise Sauce – so that’s what I made to go with these.
Serve globe artichokes warm. Eat with your fingers.
And, here’s how …
Start at the bottom of the artichoke and pull a leaf off. The base is ‘fleshy’. Dip it in your sauce, flip it over and use your bottom teeth to scrape that bit off.
And keep going. You can chuck the discarded leaves in a bowl or make a pretty flower arrangement. I trained my children to do that!
And keep going …
Until it looks like this.
This bit you just pull away.
Underneath is the ‘choke’. It’s from the thistle family, remember, and this bit is inedible. Get a spoon and scrape it all away. You have now reached the much prized ‘heart’.
A little salt and pepper. More parsimonious eating of the Hollandaise and Jem would have had more to smear across the heart, but there you go. Cut it into bite sized pieces and eat.
Globe Artichokes
Entirely flexible!
- 1 globe artichoke per person
- water, enough to cover
- salt, 2 tsp for every 2 pints/1.2 litres of water
- white wine vinegar, 2 tsp for every 2 pints/1.2 litres of water
- white wine, a glug per artichoke
- olive oil, a glug (this is to make the cooked artichokes shiny)
- bay leaves, 2
Put some water on to boil. This is for the court bouillon (flavoured cooking water). You need a stainless steel pan with a lid which will comfortably, but snugly, hold your artichokes and use enough water to cover them.
Meanwhile, prepare your globe artichokes. Snap off the stalk and use a sharp knife to level. Pass a cut lemon across the cut surface to prevent oxidation. Cut off the top third and cut the tips of each of the artichoke leaves. (This is decorative and entirely optional.)
Roughly, add 2 teaspoons of salt and the same of white wine vinegar for every 2 pints/1.2 litres of water you are using. Then, add a glug of white wine per artichoke. A couple of bay leaves and a single glug of olive oil to encourage a shiny finish to your cooked artichoke.
Add the prepared artichokes to the water. Bring back to the boil, cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Exact cooking time will depend on the size of your artichokes but checking is easy. After 30 minutes lift an artichoke out of the water and give one of the leaves a tug. (On an untrimmed artichoke try about 3 leaves down.) If it comes away, it is cooked.
Otherwise, flip the artichokes over and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Check again.
Once cooked, remove from the court bouillon and allow to drain upside down.
Serve warm with a dipping sauce. Vinaigrette, melted butter with a dash of lemon and Hollandaise Sauce are all lovely.
It’s kind to provide finger bowls filled with warm water and a slice of lemon. This is a messy business!
Eat.