How Do I Cook Artichokes?

Artichokes can be cooked using the following method: first, buy a fresh whole artichoke and wash it thoroughly in cold water. Then, cut off the top inch from the artichoke, and remove any remaining leaves. The artichoke can then be boiled in salted water for 20 to 45 minutes, or until tender. You can also reduce the cooking time by using a steamer or a microwave. Drain the artichokes upside down, and serve with mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise. Alternatively, you can just cook the artichoke hearts, first filling a mixing bowl with cold water. Then, cut off the external leaves of the artichoke until you reach the inner layer. Slice about 1 to 2 inches off the top of the artichoke, and dice the rest into quarters. Putting three of these into the bowl, take the remaining quarter, remove the choke and leaves with a spoon, and slice into smaller pieces. Repeat with the other quarters. The artichoke slices can be saut�ed, braised or even stewed for serving.

Before cooking artichokes, they should be washed well in cold water. About one inch should be cut off the top of the artichoke. The leaves which have thorns on top should be pulled out.

The artichokes are then either boiled for a duration of between twenty to forty-five minutes (in salted water) or steamed for a duration of between fifteen to thirty minutes. They can also be wrapped in plastic and heated in a microwave over for a duration of between eight and fifteen minutes.

They should be drained well and served with melted butter. In case of artichoke hearts, the tough leaves should be removed and only the light green, tender leaves should be used. The artichoke quarters can either be sautéed or braised or stewed, depending upon the personal preference of the chef.