3 Tips for Cooking with Artichokes!

Let’s face it, they don’t teach us how to cook with artichokes in school, which is a real shame since these fancy flowers from the Mediterranean happen to be one of the best parts about spring! Here’s what you need to know to easily make delicious meals with artichokes

1. Trim the tips! Artichokes are one of the more pointy types of produce we eat (we see you, Nopales), so you’ll need to trim the prickly ends of each leaf off with kitchen shears before cooking. While you’re at it, chop off the front third of the artichoke, which is almost all pointy tips anyway.

2. Tame the texture with hot water! Artichokes are quite fibrous, so you’ll need to either steam or boil them before eating. A winning combo is to boil them and then either roast or grill them for extra flavor! If boiling your artichokes, add some halved lemons and a bay leaf into your salted water for extra flavor.

3. Time for a dip! Artichokes are traditionally dipped in a creamy or tangy sauce like an aioli or vinaigrette. A good sauce will provide contrast to your artichokes and let your Imperfect herbs shine. If you’re looking to get improvise or like cooking without a recipe, ingredients that work well with artichokes are garlic, lemon juice, bay leaf, thyme, and mint.

Would you prefer a visual overview of how to cook artichokes? Check out this informative video overview on how to prep and cook artichokes from our friends at Tastemade. We hope you have fun cooking with your next batch of Imperfect artichokes!