Artichoke Tear ‘n’ Share Recipe

Yes, artichokes are an unusual ingredient (and daunting to cook!). Put that thought to rest though, you will not believe how easy this recipe is to make, and the way you eat the artichoke is like the ultimate natural tear ‘n’ share; you rip the leaves off and eat the flesh at the base. They’re perfect for a dinner party starter and go great with this herb sauce!

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 55 min

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4 People

Ingredients

  • Globe Artichoke - 1

For the Herb Dip

  • Mayonnaise - 3 tbsp

  • Vinegar (Cider or Wine) - 1.5 tsp

  • Lemon Juice - 1.5 tsp

  • Capers - 15 to 20

  • Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

  • Pesto - 3 tbsp

Method

Artichoke Step One - Trim the Base

Trim the stem off the bottom of the artichoke to leave about 5cm (2 inches)

Pull out the leaves around the base.

 

Artichoke Step Two - Trim the LEaves

With a sharp knife, chop the top 4 to 5 cm off the artichoke to reveal the central leaves.

Using scissors, trim the top 1 to 2 cm of each of the outer leaves as this will help is cook and you can eat the tops of the leaves.

Wash the artichoke.

 

Artichoke Step Three - Steam

If you have a steamer, great. If not, you can use a sieve placed in a pan over boiling water and covered it with a lid.

Steam the artichoke upside-down for 50 to 60 minutes. You can do the next step whilst the artichoke steams.

 

Artichoke Step Four - Herb Dip

Whilst the artichoke is steaming, mix together in a bowl the; mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon, capers, garlic, and pesto.

Place in the fridge until needed.

 

Artichoke Step Five - Artichoke Tear ‘n’ Share

Once the artichoke is cooked, remove from the steamer and serve with the dip.

To eat the artichoke, tear off a leaf at a time, dip the bottom of the leaf in the sauce, and by scraping the bottom of the leaf between your teeth scrape out and eat the artichoke flesh.

Don’t eat the leaves themselves (they’re way too rough), and you make find they get sharp as you get towards the purple ones near the centre - I stop eating before I get to those central ones.

There’s also one more surprise left, once you finished with the leaves, there’s still the artichoke heart.

 

 

Artichoke Step Six- Artichoke Heart

Artichoke Heart.jpg

Once you’ve finished eating the outer of the artichoke, remove the remaining leaves to reveal a fury centre to the artichoke. This fur is the choke, and it’s not edible. Remove and discard the fur with a spoon or knife to reveal the soft artichoke heart below.

I find it quite fun to do the artichoke tear ‘n’ share as a starter, then remove the heart and incorporate it into the main course (sticking with an Italian theme either through pasta, risotto, salad, or even on a pizza).

And that’s it, hope you enjoy!