Matters of the heart • by Anne Cori - ©iStockphoto.com/ Benjamin Brandt
Posted On: 04/01/2008 E-mail This To A Friend!

Most vegetables are easy to approach and easy to identify. Not so the artichokes, which come with their own body armor and prickly thorns. Yes, the leaves will stab and draw blood if you are not careful. Are they worth the effort? Most definitely, because the taste of artichoke is indescribably delicious and unique.

The artichoke is a thistle bud that has not yet opened. The prickly leaves can be defanged easily by placing the artichoke on a gas burner for a few seconds; the direct heat singes the thorns. Otherwise, chefs will carefully snip the top of each leaf before serving. To cook them, place the artichokes in a steamer basket over simmering water and cook for 45 minutes. Test the center of the vegetable with a skewer to make sure it is soft. Serve with a lemony hollandaise sauce or melted butter. I also serve a dish of finishing salt alongside, because artichokes taste much better with a whole lot of salt.

Eating a whole artichoke is incredibly sensual because it is the ultimate finger food; serve whole steamed artichokes as an appetizer or first course or simply by itself. The beauty and taste deserve to be enjoyed without competition. To eat an artichoke, pick off a leaf and pull it through your teeth to scrape off the edible part. (Unless it is a tender baby artichoke, the leaf is too stringy to eat.)

But artichokes aren’t just eaten whole; fresh hearts can be added to recipes. The only way to extract the heart intact is to pare the artichoke raw – when the whole artichoke is cooked first, the inedible leaves cannot be easily separated from the edible heart. Too much of the heart is attached to the leaves, and then the heart that is left is small.

Because of the fibrous nature of the artichoke leaves, a very sharp knife is required for paring an artichoke. Cut off the top and the stem, then (using a paring knife) trim off all the dark green leaves, so that all that is left is the fuzzy choke and the pale heart. This paring technique is known as “turning” the artichoke. Artichoke hearts will turn brown almost immediately, so rub the heart with the juice from a cut lemon and then place it in a bowl of lemon water. Bring the lemon water to a boil and simmer the hearts for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and scoop out the choke.

Be careful of the choke, because artichokes really do choke and have been known to destroy sink disposals. All of the artichoke debris must be put in the trash or you will have to call the plumber.
Artichokes are considered a bad food match for wine, because the lingering aftertaste makes all liquids (including water) taste sweet. Even so, I would never turn down a glass of Champagne while eating an artichoke. Feasting on a beautiful artichoke calls for a celebration.

There are some wonderful food combinations with artichokes, including garlic, spinach and goat cheese. The famous, overserved and should-be-retired St. Louis appetizer of spinach-artichoke dip calls for canned marinated artichokes. That dip has so much cheese and mayonnaise in it that the flavor of the artichoke is lost. Try a fresh artichoke – they are in season right now – with this sophisticated Italian recipe.

Anne Cori, a certified culinary professional, has taught cooking classes for more than 15 years at Kitchen Conservatory.

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