Last month I spent a weekend in Chicago with my friends Michael and Tommy. Like any typical vacation, we spent the majority of the time eating and drinking. In between brunch and a dinner party we ventured to the grocery store for rum to make mojitos. While we were there Tommy mentioned that he wanted to learn how to cook an artichoke. Artichokes look like beastly things but in actuality you can prepare them quite easily for a fancy looking starter. And my lesson was worth it, they have reported preparing them again!
Ingredients:
- Fresh artichokes
- butter
- lemon
- salt
Assembly:
Cut the bottom stem off the artichoke so it stands on its own. Then, using scissors, cut the sharp points off each leaf. Boil (or steam) the artichokes stem side up (I throw juiced lemons and salt into the water for flavor) until the stem is tender enough to easily insert a knife. Serve them with melted lemon butter ( I prefer mine with a little salt too). If you haven’t eaten an artichoke this way, you pluck each leaf off, dip in butter and scrap the ends off with your teeth. Once you reach the center, clean the choke with a knife and eat the artichoke heart!
