Artichoke phobia

Team

I have generally been pretty experimental in my cooking attempts over the years. One thing I have 100% steered clear of is working with raw artichokes.... trimming leaves, getting to the heart, cutting out that hairball inside etc.... something about it just stops me in my tracks.

Any thoughts? Is the reward worth the effort? Will I look back and say I can’t believe I didn’t do this 20 years ago? Or will I say canned or frozen are good enough and massively easier.

Looking forward to your guidance!

[Jenise]

Oh John. John John John John John.

Canned and frozen are not the real deal. Canned are suitable for throwing into my stepmother's curried rice salad, and frozen are the ticket if you want to coat them with a batter and deep fry them (but, why would you.)

Fresh, real--only way to go. They are wonderful and yes worth all the trouble--though I do wonder who back in history figured out how to cook one the first time. I make them frequently, usually in a pressure cooker with bay leaves, olive oil and lemon slices added for seasoning to serve chilled later. But sometimes I stuff them like I did yesterday (after removing the "hairball"--that made me spit coffee on my monitor), and sometimes I'll quarter them raw and remove the, er, hairball with a serrated grapefruit spoon, cover them with water and cook carefully in order to achieve only 90% doneness such that the leaves don't disconnect from the heart, douse them with EVOO, and grill them. That, IMNSHO, is the epitome of artichoke-ness. The umami effect of grilling amplifies the flavor by like 1000%. It's magical, and there's nothing else on the planet like them.

I presume you've eaten a real artichoke somewhere in your life and not just gazed at them, askance, at the grocery store?

I’ve definitely eaten the real deal and love them. I guess I just need to buy some and get on the horse.... will look around for a YouTube instruction or something..... this is when it would be great to have a neighbor who invites you over and says “I’m going to show you once and all how to deal with these badboys”

I never remove the "hairball" when steaming or stuffing. Deal with it when I come to it when eating. It separates from the heart quite easily with a spoon when cooked. I do use a scissors to trim points from large leaves then rub entire outside with cut lemon to reduce discoloration. I think the quarter, remove, partially cook then grill is a sensational idea and will do that with next batch. Great tip!

[Jenise]

I think the quarter, remove, partially cook then grill is a sensational idea and will do that with next batch. Great tip!

It will be one of those "where have these been all my life" moments. At least it was for me, when served them in a grill-centric restaurant in a California beach town. They served them with a mayo dip, as do I, seasoned with worcestershire sauce. I add grated ginger.

[Jenise]

So John, trying to be that neighbor, I checked out some You Tube videos. I was surprised by how many different techniques various individuals deem to be the right way to prep an artichoke, but I agree with Martha Stewart here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDxaIUJzd5Y

I also have a lot in common with Kenji Lopez who, though he trims away the outer leaves where I (and Martha) do not, he uses a serrated bread knife to top the little devils which I do as well. In fact, I have a dedicated ex-bread knife that is too dull for bread but in fact does just fine sawing through artichokes or anything else that might damage a good knife.

Note: not all artichokes have thorns. Generally the squat compact kind Martha uses and trims are the thornless variety and do not require trimming unless you just want to look fancy. They also have a slightly different textured leaf which I like less than the good old thorny, taller variety, so I don't seek them out.

This has probably been covered before (perhaps many times), but artichokes contain cynarin, which makes wine taste sweeter than it really is.

I just noticed my number of posts now equals 5,280, the number of feet in a mile. Think I'll buy a lottery ticket today.

I like pickled artichoke hearts on a charcuterie board or Italian roasted vegetables platter. I've had some really excellent fried ones in Rome. But whole ones... take it or leave it. (His Royal Pumpkinosity does not eat them so I don't have much opportunity to change my mind.)

My favorite artichokes are the small young ones that don't need much trimming. Just a bit of peeling around the stalk and then sauteed. With garlic, lemon, maybe some herbs, it's California! I have not been able to replicate that since leaving.

[Jenise]

I grew up on them in California. Remember Mom buying them at the Mexican markets for a penny each. She'd pressure cook then wrap them individually. I would probably eat 50% of those, opting to have them for lunch instead of the sandwiches everyone else ate. I haven't changed much.

[Jenise]

My favorite artichokes are the small young ones that don't need much trimming. Just a bit of peeling around the stalk and then sauteed. With garlic, lemon, maybe some herbs, it's California! I have not been able to replicate that since leaving.

I so agree--at that stage they haven't developed a "hairball". But even here we rarely see them that small--you have to be in Salinas or nearby.