How to Cook Artichokes Like an Italian

Artichokes – or carciofi – are a true Italian favourite. Italy is the world’s largest producer of these spiky vegetables, and the appearance of great piles of artichokes in markets across the country is a sure-fire sign that spring is in full swing. 

The artichoke is actually a type of thistle, its buds harvested before they can bloom into flowers. Native to the Mediterranean, artichokes have been cultivated and eaten in Italy since the days of ancient Rome. The Romans popularised the idea that the artichoke was a powerful aphrodisiac, and until the 16th century women were forbidden from eating the vegetable because of its purported powers. 

After the taboo was publicly broken by Catherine de Medici, the Italian noblewoman who became Queen of France in 1547, the artichoke began to be seen as a vegetable for all. Today, artichokes are a common sight on the Italian table – whether braised, stuffed, preserved or fried. Preparing an artichoke does require a little patience, but the end result is worth it. Here’s how. 

How to prepare artichokes

How you prepare an artichoke depends on how you plan to cook it. If you’re going to cook it whole (either steamed or stuffed and roasted) and eat it petal by petal, then all you need to do is cut off the top third of the artichoke’s tip and remove the stalk.

For recipes that involve just the artichoke heart (including braising, frying or preserving artichokes), follow the steps below: 

1. Before you start on the artichoke, prepare a large bowl of cold water, then squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into it (you can leave the lemon halves in the water).

2. Take your artichoke and trim the stem with a sharp knife, leaving around 5cm intact. Cut off and discard the top third of the artichoke tip.

3. Remove the dark outer petals by ripping them away from the bud with your hands. Discard around two full layers, until you get to the yellow inner petals. 

4. Using a sharp knife or a swivel peeler, peel away at the stem and base of your artichoke, until you get to the lighter, smoother flesh. 

5. Slice your artichoke in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to remove the fluffy inner core. 

6. Submerge the halves in your bowl of water and lemon until ready to cook. Repeat this process for each artichoke.

How to cook artichokes

To braise artichokes

• Prepare your artichoke according to the six steps above, then quarter and cut into slices. 
• Sauté in olive oil for 4 minutes with chopped garlic, then add a ladle or two of boiling water.
• Leave to cook for 20 minutes, or until the artichokes are soft.
• Serve with your favourite fresh pasta – we love the combination of braised artichokes and tagliatelle.

To steam a whole artichoke

• Prepare your artichoke by cutting off the stem and top third of its tip.
• Place a steaming basket over a pan filled with enough water to sit just below the basket.
• Put your artichoke in the basket with the tip facing up, then cover and bring to the boil. 
• Let your artichoke steam until you’re able to remove a petal by giving it a gentle pull. 20-30 minutes for a smaller artichoke, 30-40 minutes for a larger one.
• Serve with a bowl of extra virgin olive oil seasoned with sea salt for dipping the petals in. 

To stuff and roast a whole artichoke

• Prepare your artichoke by cutting off the stem and top third of its tip. 
• Take your trimmed artichoke and bash it on a worktop, petal-side down (this will open up the petals so you have more surface to stuff). 
• Sit your artichoke bulb in a roasting dish, with the petals pointing up.
• Mix your stuffing in a bowl; we like a suitably Italian mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, minced garlic, pecorino cheese and extra virgin olive oil .
• Sprinkle your stuffing all over the artichoke, making sure you rub it into the gaps between the petals. 
• Pour 300ml of boiling water into the dish, then bake at 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 for 45 minutes, or until you can remove a petal by giving it a gentle pull. 

How to eat a whole artichoke

Eating a whole artichoke is a simple, but hands-on task:

1. Tear a petal off, pull the white fleshy base through clenched teeth to remove the artichoke ‘meat’, then discard the rest. Repeat for all of the petals.
2. Once you’ve got through all of the petals, you’ll reach the fuzzy, inedible ‘choke’. Scoop this out with a spoon and discard it. 
3. What you’re left with is the artichoke heart, break or slice this into pieces and eat whole – it’s the best bit.

FAQs

Where are artichokes grown in Italy?

Dozens of different varieties of artichoke are grown across Italy, but the regions of Lazio and Sardinia are particularly famous for their carciofi. In Lazio, carciofi Romanesco (Roman artichokes) are prized for their soft petals and lack of a tough inner ‘choke’ – the fluffy, inedible core you’ll find in most artichokes – a trait that means they’re often cooked and eaten whole. The carciofo Spinoso Sardo (Sardinian thorny artichoke) may sound like a somewhat spikier affair, but once the sharp spines are snipped off its tender, nutty leaves can actually be eaten raw. The Sardinian variety is so prized that it has geographically-protected DOP status.

What wines pair well with artichokes? 

Artichokes are renowned for making wine pairing a little more complex than some other vegetables. Artichokes contain an organic acid called cynarin, which as well as giving them their bitter flavour, also makes anything you consume after taste sweeter. This phenomenon has led some to recommend not drinking wine with artichokes. We respectfully disagree, you just need to pay a little attention to your pairing. Avoid red wines as their tannins will emphasise the artichoke’s natural bitterness. Instead, look for dry, crisp white wines with bitter finishes, like Greco di Tufo or Verdicchio.