I love artichokes; they make a quick, easy meal. Just boil some water and steam until the leaves are soft. I remember my mom serving steamed artichokes as the main entree for dinner in the spring and summer when I was growing up, so when I saw artichokes at Fresh and Easy recently, I decided to pick one up for myself.
I know many people like dipping them in mayo, but seeing as I am not really a fan of the condiment, I prefer dipping mine in butter. I love the zippy tang of citrus fruit, so I figured adding a squeeze of lemon to the butter would be a great way to jazz up this simple dish.
Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Butter
Source: Cooking in Cucamonga Original
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
artichokes (1-2 per person)
butter (about 2 Tablespoons per person)
lemon juice (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons per person)
water
Directions
Fill a large stockpot with water. Set a steamer basket on top of the water; make sure there is about 2 inches between the bottom of the steamer basket and the top of the water. Cover and bring to a boil.
Rinse the artichokes. You can also cut off the pointed ends if you like, but I leave mine as is.
Add the artichokes to the steamer basket once the water is boiling (you may need to cook them in batches if you are serving a crowd) and cover the pot. Leave the lid on and steam them for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size of the artichoke; you should be able to pull the outer leaves off pretty easily once they are done. My artichoke took about 33 minutes.
While the artichokes are steaming, combine the butter and lemon juice in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 10 second increments until the butter is melted. Portion the melted lemon butter into individual dishes for each person.
Pull the leaves off the artichokes and dip into the lemon butter, scraping the flesh off the underside of the leaves with your teeth.
Once you get to the middle of the artichoke, scrape off the fuzziness--you've uncovered the heart. Eat the heart whole, dipped in butter, or save for later use in salads, pizzas, and calzones.
4 comments:
Artichokes are my favorite! I cook them in a pressure cooker—only 15 minutes for one, about 20 for two. Yum-O! Okay, I'm totally making artichokes tonight now. :o)
Wow, the pressure cooker is fast! I've never used one...or even seen one, actually. I hope you did make artichokes and enjoyed them! Are you a butter or mayo dipper?
Oh, I love artichokes! My hubby doesn't like them but I'm going to prepare one just for me after reading your post.
Marie @ Sally Lee by the Sea
Janet - You should totally get a pressure cooker. They're cool. You can make killer pork chops and "noodles and gravy" (my family's version of beef stroganoff) in them. And, I am a butter dipper these days, but I preferred mayo as a kid. :o)
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