I have always loved artichokes, but until I started cooking them myself I had no idea how finicky they could be. (Please note, when I say I “cook them myself”, it really means “my husband cooks them and they’re amazing, but I’ve watched and learned and asked him exactly how he does it”.)
I’m going to give you two different cooking methods, but the prep is the same for both. (This post contains affiliate links.) The first just uses a big pot with a vegetable steamer. The second method uses a pressure cooker which produces AMAZING results. If you can’t think of anything else you would need a pressure cooker for, get one just for artichokes. They cook up so quickly are incredibly tasty.
How to Cook the Perfect Artichoke
Ingredients
- Artichokes
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the artichokes under cold water
- Drain well
- Cut the tops off the artichokes
- With the tips of your fingers, gently open the leaves up a little bit to loosen up the artichoke
- Drizzle olive oil around on the inside of the artichoke
- Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper in the artichoke
- Put the cut and seasoned artichokes upside down in a large pot
- Place a steamer basket on top of the artichokes, like a hat, so they don't float away
- Fill the pot with enough water to cover the artichokes and basket
- Cover and bring to a boil
- Set the timer for 30 minutes for small ones and 40 minutes for larger ones, then start checking for doneness
- (To test if it's done, pull a leaf from the outside and try it)
- It may take up to 20-30 more minutes depending on the size of the artichokes, but you don't want to under cook them (it always seems to take longer than I remember)
- Use a pressure cooker
- Your pressure cooker should have instructions on exactly how to cook artichokes, if you have those instructions follow them!
- For ours, we fill the cooker with 2 inches of water
- Put the steamer tray in the bottom
- Place the cut and seasoned artichokes upside down on the tray
- Lock the cooker and bring to boil according to directions
- Once the nozzle starts dancing, set the timer for 15 minutes for smaller artichokes and 20 for larger
- Remove from the heat and release the pressure as soon as they're done (following instructions of course)
- They should be perfect, but if you need to cook a little longer just turn the heat back on for a few minutes without using the pressure part
- Serve with a side of mayo, garlic aoli, hollandaise, or melted lemon butter for dipping.
- To Eat - Pull a leaf off, dip the meaty, non-pointy end in your sauce of choice, then scrape the meat off with your teeth.
- When You Get to the Heart - Using a knife, clean the thistles out of the middle of the heart. Cut any excess stem off, then enjoy!
Cooking Method 1:
Cooking Method 2:
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