ARTICHOKES .. ' To eat... and artichokes '

COOKING WITH MAVIS   #5         ” To Eat ...And Artichoke”

Don’t you hate generalizations ?....

“Most South Africans haven’t a clue as to ‘HOW’  to eat , nor  prepare , fresh artichokes…”

                            “ To Eat An Artichoke”…

Here in ‘The Western Cape’, the short, singularly-annual, artichoke season surreptitiously sneaks summarily into my life, in Spring - towards the middle-September  and hopefully lasts till around the last week of October. 

I have learned that it really is best to alert some supermarkets and fresh-food retailers just ahead of predicted ‘said’ season. Hopefully one of them will notify me of stock-arrived!

When that phone call comes, I drop everything I’m doing, and rush to that ‘said’ fresh-food-outlet and grab as many as my arms can carry…and then some for BestFriend Mo’   

And recently, mid-Winter, I twice happed upon consignments at ‘Fruit and Veg City’ –  unseasonably brought-in from EGYPT! …Can-you-believe-it!   A..an…and what was amazing, is that there were 5 varieties  to choose from!...Leaves plump-and-‘meaty’-and-succulent-and- generously-large! 

I forget myself! …The tastebuds already anttttttissssssipating the treat ahead….while “Doing A Granny Dolly” …( that is: examining each and every one of them, till satisfied I have chosen well ) … I plan which way I shall prepare them..these glorious delicacies! 

I first learnt to eat artichokes in Rome as a young ‘ Twentysomething ’ …and have never looked back!...and when BestFriend Mo' and Me  spent time in the South of France…in Perigueux…we shopped at the fresh-produce market in Thiviers, and dined on the biggest, succulentest, meatiest green French steamed artichokes – never ever to be forgotten ! 

And as for those in Duisburg-near-Dusseldorf, served to us at   Uta and Bertold’s gracious dinner table…MMMMMMMmmmmmm! 

So, as you might gather, freshly cooked artichokes hold a very special place in my cuisine!

I know that ‘My M’ dreads  this season.  Short-and-intense […the season ], ‘cookingwithmavis’  has been known to serve these gems nightly as hors d’oeuvres for 4 whole weeks.

Finally, after suffering my whim, ‘My M’  put his bloomin’ foot down!  He stamped, and ranted and raved, and no-more he would eat ! 

So, nowadays, I hold back…I have become more controlled  when purchasing fresh artichokes…for the two-of-us just !

 I’ll resist the anguishing temptation to buy more than 6….welllllll, maybe 8! 

Now, Mamma Peretti     makes hers the true Italian way..and that’s my adopted preferred choice…..

                            

                       0>>>>>>>>>>>acnarFFFFFFFFFFFFranca<<<<<<<<<<<<<0

And so to recipes…..

Artichokes cooked in red wine and garlic

I do mine in a pressure cooker…but that’s not to deter ‘You ‘ from cooking yours in a nice biggish pot…the conventional way…..

The whole purpose, is to cook them till the fleshy pulp (what I refer to as their “meat”), within each leaf, is nice and tender.

Ingredients :  -  for conventional cooking in a pot:

4 to 6 fresh artichokes

1 cup dry red wine

½ cup water

1 teaspoon garlic ( ‘Mavis  never  measures!  )

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mamma Peretti    adds a generous handful too, of finely chopped parsley     (I don’t ) 

p.s....AND the Italian way is to take off some of the hard outer leaves as well as trim half the bloomin' tops off...ooooooh...I cant bare to waste all that!See Lil's comment at the end ! 

Dipping Sauce: Quantity per person  :

2 tablespoons butter

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Tiny bit of crushed garlic (just for a hint of taste! ) 

METHOD:

1)Snip a little bit off the end of the stem of each artichoke. 

2)To open them slightly, press point-downwards, onto a worksurface/choppingboard with the palm of your hand resting on the end of the stem. 

3)To clean (usually seldom necessary) soak for at least 1 hour in a large bowl of cold water with a few tablespoons lemon juice and a tablespoon of salt.

I sometimes soak in this solution overnight in the fridge.

Rinse in fresh bowl of water before cooking. 

4)Place in a large pot, add the wine, water, garlic, salt ,olive oil (and parsley if using ).

5)Put the lid on, and bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 1 hour…or longer until the fleshy insides of the leaves are tender… (I’ve  noticed  smallish  artichokes too… 3/4 hour  is  enough)

“And ? ”, you ask , “how to know this?”….….well, the leaves should peel off the artichoke very easily – best if the outer leaves already begin to fall off the artichoke.

Take a leaf, hold the pointy tip between thumb and forefinger, and place the bottom thicker section between your (bottom and top) front teeth. Firmly close your jaw, clamp the leaf between your front teeth, and pull the leaf back out of your mouth….with teeth pulling the fleshy, ”meaty” pulp from inside the leaf! 

If it comes out easily, then the artichokes are ready!...never any harm in cooking for longer.

(In the pressure cooker, ‘Mavis  pressures them for at least an hour!...so the stems are very soft , able to guzzle too!)

To serve.

Gently melt the butter, lemon, garlic and salt in individual ramekins (I do so on “Defrost” in the microwave) for about a minute.

    … To eat an artichoke :        

Starting from the OUTER  layer, begin by peeling one leaf off, at a time .

Hold the tip of the leaf between thumb and forefinger.

Dip the fleshy “other” end into the lemon butter sauce.

Hold this succulent, decadent buttery leaf between your (bottom and top) front teeth.

Firmly lock that jaw, and pull the leaf back out of your mouth….with teeth pulling the ‘fleshy,”meaty” pulp from inside the leaf!

Be totally decadent and add a little of the cooked wine stock too, to your ramekin of lemon butter.  
       ….it’s  HEAVEN !!!!  

And, as you progress, leaf-by-leaf, from outer layers to the core….you’ll eventually reach the tender leaves which you can eat whole…then beware!..the actual “heart” and it’s choking hairs will appear at centre…

Gently, with a knife, prize away the round bed of fine hairs ( “the Choke” ) - you won’t ever want to choke on those …….and discard.

Eat the sumptuous tender heart of the artichoke.  

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm…and now youll probably have a buttery shimmer around the peripheral extremities of your satisfied lips!

                   >>>>>>>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA<<<<<<<<

'COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ 

Fresh artichokes

                                   
                                               Fresh artichokes

                                    
                                                Fresh artichokes

                                               Fresh artickhokes

                                                  Opened fresh artichoke

                          

                  Artickokes -cooked in red wine 

                                                                            
     ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’