Spring Hill Ranch Basic Steamed Artichoke

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Recipe intro

Introducing the Spring Hill Ranch Basic Steamed Artichoke Recipe, a delightful and easy way to enjoy this nutritious vegetable. With just a few simple steps, you can create a tender and flavorful artichoke that is perfect as an appetizer or side dish. This recipe from Spring Hill Ranch guarantees a fuss-free cooking experience, allowing you to savor the natural taste of artichokes without any added frills. So grab your steamer and get ready to indulge in this healthy and delicious treat.

Keywords: Spring Hill Ranch, basic, steamed artichoke, recipe, nutritious.

spring hill ranch basic steamed artichoke recipe details

Spring hill ranch basic steamed artichoke recipe, recipe Rating: 4.7
Number of votes:122

Lots of folks used canned artichoke hearts in lots of dishes, but all too rarely does one see artichokes served as a stand-alone side dish. Personally, I love ’em and tend to have one every week or two. This is a very basic recipe for the person totally unfamiliar with the nettle. There are hundreds of ways to serve them, and this is the start… (If you’d like larger step-by-step pictures, send me a message)

Ready in: 37 mins

Ingredients

Serves: 2

• 1 Fresh artichoke
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• dipping medium

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Extra time: 2 mins, other

1. When you buy the artichoke, the leaves should be mostly snug to the head, though a few spreading slightly away are just fine. Green is good, but a little browning (see picture) is quite acceptable. The stem should be 2 to 3 inches long to prevent spoilage of the choke (center part). The leaves have very sharp little spikes on the tips, so be careful when handling.
2. The entire stem is edible, but for presentation, trim it off right at the base.
3. Using a really sharp knife, trim about 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top. The interior leaves may all be green or some right near the center may be a redish-purple-ish color.
4. Using a pair of sharp scissors, trim the ends of the leaves to remove any chance of spike-related injuries!
5. Using that sharp knife again, slice the artichoke in half along its axis. Squeeze about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice in each half. This will bot add a lovely flavor and also prevent (or reduce) the browning of the cut leaves. These brown like potatoes or apples once cut and the citric acid helps stop that. (Some browning has already started in the attached photo. This much won’t affect the flavor or texture.)
6. Set the halves in your steamer. I usually place them cut-side up, but it really doesn’t matter.
7. Steam them on the stovetop for about 25 minutes…
8. …You’ll know they are done because you can remove one of the outer leaves with just a gentle tug.
9. Remove one of your halves and place it on a work surface or cutting board. Note the hair-like growth at the center and the tiny red-ish leaves above them. These are not user friendly, but instead are tiny prickers that will make you choke. They need to be removed…
10. …so use a spoon or paring knife to dig them out. You want to dig just slightly below the center, as indicated by the dashed line on the attached picture.
11. What you’ll end up with should look something like this picture, though there could be a few red-ish leaves left in the center as well. Note that *all* the hairy part is removed.
12. Serve with a little dipping sauce of some sort. The standards are drawn butter or simple mayonnaise, but there are literally hundreds of sauces that work. To enjoy them, pull off a leaf, dip the end you pulled off into the sauce, then scrape the meaty portion of the leaf’s interior off with your teeth. the outer leaves will have very little meaty portion, but as you work your way further into the plant, the amount of meatiness and its wonderful flavor both increase. When you reach the end and have only a piece of the stalk left, simply cut it into pieces and eat it, too! (The pictures I took of the eating process came out off-focus, so I’ll add more later!)Alternate method

Alternates at step #6: You can also simply place these in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for 20-25 minutes, but I personally feel that they are not as flavorful. You can also put them on a grill (on the cold side with indirect heat) and watch them carefully so as not to char or overcook them.

Tip

While these are typically served as a side dish, many diets approve of them and they make a very nice main course!