How to eat an artichoke raw. Artichoke: useful properties and contraindications

To my great regret, most of my acquaintances have never eaten, let alone cooked artichokes. This is a big omission, because they are very tasty!

Today we will find out what to do with this mysterious friend 🙂

First of all, you need to know that the artichoke is not a vegetable or a fruit. This is a flower that has interesting taste and many useful features. Artichokes are rich in iron, phosphorus, calcium, vitamins and proteins. In addition, artichokes soothe, relieve tension and stress. And, of course, it is one of the most famous aphrodisiacs. In this regard, the ancient Romans forbade women to eat artichokes. But today they can eat artichokes in full 🙂 The homeland of the artichoke is the Mediterranean basin. The artichoke is rich in beneficial substances like polyphenols and flavonoids, helps reduce bad cholesterol levels. In addition, scientific studies have shown that eating artichoke stimulates the renewal of liver cells. Not bad, right?

What to do with artichokes, how to cook them?

When you choose artichokes in the store, you need to inspect them carefully - they should be a uniform green color, without darkening. The dark parts tend to be overripe and very tough.

There are several types of artichokes that we will find on sale, as well as at least 2 ways to eat them: the first method recommends cutting off all the leaves, and cooking only the remaining “stump”. The second way is to cook the whole artichoke and eat it with the leaves. Let's consider both.

First, the artichokes must be thoroughly rinsed under running water, opening all the leaves with your fingers.

To cook whole (which is much less troublesome), you need to cut off the “leg” from the washed artichoke, leaving a couple of centimeters. Remove the toughest bottom leaves, then take kitchen shears and cut off the top tips of all the leaves. Open the leaves with your fingers and pour a little olive oil, salt and pepper directly inside. Then carefully close the artichoke again and lower it into boiling water, cook for 20-30 minutes (depending on size) until the artichoke can be easily pierced in the middle with a knife. Remove the artichoke from the water and drain upside down in a colander to drain off all the water. And you can start eating 🙂 From an artichoke, as a rule, with your hands, tear off one leaf at a time and, dipping it in sauce, or even without sauce, eat its inner soft part. The outer part of the leaf usually remains tough, it is not eaten, but put on a separate plate.

If you want to cook any dish with artichokes (for example, pasta with artichoke sauce with cream), you need to cut off all the leaves from a fresh artichoke, and cut out the very middle of the future flower (purple part, see photo). This way you will be left with what is called the “artichoke heart”. It can be boiled, fried, stewed, in general - indulge in culinary delights at your discretion.

Bon appetit and have a great weekend! 🙂

The artichoke, the recipes for which we will describe today, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Aster family, genus Cynara. The main distribution area covers the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean (more than 10 plant species grow in this zone).

Selection and storage rules

Before you start cooking, you need to select a product. It must be fresh fruits having tightly fitting leaves. Take the artichoke in your hands - when ripe, it should be quite heavy and hard when pressed, otherwise it is considered that the buds are not fresh and stale. Also pay attention to the color - it should be even and not contain brown spots. The question immediately arises, what artichoke tastes like. It is somewhat reminiscent of a walnut, only with a certain spicy aftertaste.

The size of the selected fruits is not important, but remember that during preparation, their diameter is significantly reduced, therefore, to prepare the dish, you need to take the weight of the product twice as much as necessary.

Store artichokes for a week in a cold place, previously placed in a bag. Boiled fruits should either be eaten immediately or frozen, otherwise they will acquire a black tint and a bitter taste.

Culinary masterpieces

Of all the variety, only two species are used for food: sowing (otherwise it is called prickly Cynara scolumis), as well as cardon (known as the Spanish artichoke Cynara cardunculus). In the first representative, only fleshy receptacles are suitable for food, i.e. the bottom (the base of the bud), the second has fleshy petioles of basal leaves. According to recipes, a lot is prepared from artichokes delicious meals: salads, hot and cold, pizzas, pies, pastas and even baked goods.

Pickled artichoke

Pickled artichokes are not only a healthy product, but also very tasty. True cooking of fruits requires pre-training otherwise it will be impossible to eat them.

To pickle four medium-sized fruits, you need 2 lemons, 3 liters of water, and spices. As the latter is taken: 3 sprigs of fresh parsley, a couple of cloves of garlic, 0.3 l of olive oil, salt and pepper according to preferences and balsamic vinegar in the amount of 2 tbsp. l.

So, consider how to cook an artichoke in a marinade:

Getting ready to start lemon water, squeezing the juice of one citrus fruit into a deep container filled with 3 liters of water.
The next step is preparing the artichokes. In the course are large and fleshy.
The fruits are thoroughly washed from dirt and grains of sand that have fallen into the petals, dried on a paper towel. Then, with the help of kitchen scissors, hard scales are cut off and the hard upper skin is peeled off the stalk.
Also cut off about 1-2 cm from the top of the bud. Next, you need to remove the hairy inedible part. It is most convenient to do this with a tablespoon, but so as not to damage the fleshy part of the fruit. As a result, you should get a soft bottom, which goes into cooking.
Peeled buds are cut into two halves and again thoroughly washed.
Since the artichokes darken quickly, they are immediately placed in lemon water for 5-10 minutes. This will help keep the color of the petals.
Start cooking. The contents of the container are poured into a saucepan, put on fire and brought to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and boil the buds for 30-40 minutes. It all depends on their maturity and density.
The readiness of the artichokes will be checked with a fork - it should be freely immersed in the pulp. The boiled fruits are taken out and allowed to cool.
Meanwhile, a marinade is prepared from washed and chopped parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper pressed through a press. Also add vinegar and oil to taste.
When the artichokes have cooled, they are slightly squeezed out of the water, cut into smaller pieces (not very finely), put in a pre-sterilized jar and poured with marinade. The jar is tightly closed with a lid and sent to the refrigerator for two hours.

Pickled artichokes can be used as cold appetizer, or go to prepare other dishes. For example, they cook very delicious salads with artichokes.

During cooking, you can take your own set of spices, for example, thyme, cloves, Bay leaf, cinnamon, hot peppers, as well as any other vegetable oil.

Stuffed artichokes

Want to add a little exotic to your diet? Prepare a hearty, juicy and incredibly tasty artichoke dish - stuff them.

For cooking, take the ratio of 6 buds and ground beef 0.3 kg. Additionally, you will need one lemon, 6 potato tubers, 3 tbsp. l. lemon juice, the same amount of olive or any other vegetable oil, a bunch of fresh parsley, spices and salt according to preference:

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can use a thick-bottomed pot or deep frying pan.

Video recipe for cooking artichokes in a pan

Pasta with artichokes, spinach and cheese

Due perfect combination products, the dish turns out to be incredibly tasty and satisfying. Moreover, it is suitable not only for family dinner but also for guests.

To prepare this artichoke recipe, you will need 2 cups of pasta, ½ cup canned and already chopped artichokes. In the same amount of fresh chopped onions and spinach. You will also need 3 garlic cloves, 0.5 tsp. garlic salt, a glass of cream, 2 tbsp. l. cornstarch, salt and pepper to taste. From cheeses use grated Swiss cheese, parmesan and mozzarella in the amount of 1 tbsp: ¼ tbsp.: 2 tbsp. respectively. The dish also uses 225 g of cream cheese.

Cooking process:

boiled pasta and throw it into a colander. Work quickly so the pasta doesn't get cold.
Chopped canned artichokes
Pour in the cream, mix and spread in a baking dish, previously lubricated with butter.
Distribute the mass equally in shape, sprinkle not big amount grated mozzarella.
They are sent to the oven to cook at 200 C until the cheese is melted and an appetizing crust appears.

The finished dish is served hot, both whole and cut into portions.

Artichokes in Marchijian style - video

As you can see, the recipes for making artichokes are simple, you just need to properly prepare the fruits. With effort, you will get a lot of delicious dishes that will always be present on your table.

How to clean and cook artichokes - video

This vegetable is a favorite ingredient of culinary gourmets for preparing unusual, healthy, and most importantly, very simple dishes.

Artichoke: selection, preparation and preparation

Every meal starts with right choice products, and artichokes are no exception. If you have never bought or cooked them before, then you may have a number of questions - for example, which artichokes are best to choose, how should they look, and which part of the plant should be cooked? Let's start with the logical - with the choice of artichokes.

There are some details that you should pay attention to before buying this Mediterranean vegetable:

The artichoke should be fresh in appearance, not limp and without visible damage.
If its petals are too dry, then it is unlikely to be suitable for food.
Fresh artichokes are fleshy and soft to the touch, the leaves of the buds are resilient.
It is advisable to buy artichokes with part of the stem, so they last longer.
It is better to buy those artichokes that have been cut and put up for sale recently.
Ask the seller before buying about how long ago these artichokes were introduced.

Since only the unopened inflorescence, the artichoke basket, is used for food, it is on it that the main attention should be paid. If the petals are damaged, yellowed or dry, and the stem of the vegetable has a rather sluggish appearance, then most likely the artichokes have already deteriorated and become less useful, have lost their basic taste.

The most valuable thing in an artichoke basket is the bottom of the bud, so you should buy only fresh, literally cut the day before, plants. Artichokes are stored in the same way as flowers - they are placed with cut stems in a container of water. Only in this case, the vegetable can be preserved in its normal form.

The next step is preparing the artichoke and cleaning it. How to clean artichokes?

It is necessary to cut off the top of the bud, namely, to remove its tip from each petal, leaving about 70-80% of the leaf.

Then the artichokes are thoroughly washed under running water and the stems are cut off.

Next, the buds should be wrapped with thread or twine so that the vegetable does not lose its aesthetic appearance during the cooking process.

Artichokes are placed in salted water and boiled until tender, about half an hour.

It is important: artichoke is a plant that oxidizes very quickly. Therefore, it is important to prevent its blackening, work only with stainless steel utensils, and it is better to wipe the cut points immediately with fresh lemon. It can also be added to boiling water in which the vegetable will be cooked.

Artichokes are best combined with lemon sauces, they can also be consumed fresh, raw. For salads, small and medium-sized baskets are usually used, cutting the leaves of the bud into small strips. Large artichokes stuffed, also mediterranean healthy vegetable can be marinated, added to other dishes.

Pickled artichokes

Canned artichokes are a great opportunity to prepare a healthy vegetable for the future. The pickling recipe is quite simple, even a novice cook can handle it. All that is needed is necessary ingredients and some time.

Artichokes (4-5 large baskets or 7-8 medium ones).
Lemon (2 medium sized will suffice).
A little garlic.
Balsamic vinegar (about 2 tablespoons)
Olive oil.
Spices (salt, black pepper).

First you need to prepare a container with lemon water so that the artichokes do not darken and oxidize during the cleaning process. Type in a bowl cold water and then press there lemon juice. And now it's time to peel the artichokes: what to do with them next?

With a sharp stainless knife, remove the peel from each artichoke stalk, upper part legs. We cut off the stem, leaving only 1-2 cm under the bud. The outer layer of leaves must be removed as they are often very hard and dry. Therefore, we leave only the inner leaves of the buds and the core.

Then the artichoke basket is cut in half from above, that is, we remove the top of the bud. As a result, only the core of the basket and the leaves around it remain. We cut out this core from the inside of the artichoke with a tablespoon. It is important to remember to place each peeled bud in the lemon water while you work on the rest.

It is important: such marinated artichokes can be used for salads, as a savory addition to other dishes, and marinated artichokes keep for about six months. It is better not to add herbs or other ingredients to the marinade, as this can oxidize the vegetable and reduce its shelf life.

Peeled artichokes are boiled in the same lemon water in which they were stored.

Artichokes boiled in lemon water

The buds prepared for canning are boiled for about 30-40 minutes, then they are removed from the water and cut in half lengthwise. The artichokes are tossed with the dressing and then rolled into glass jars. You can also just put the bowl in the refrigerator, use marinated artichokes for salads.

The dressing is prepared in this way: lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic are added to olive oil. Salt, pepper, and then lower the boiled artichokes into the dressing and mix thoroughly.

How to cook artichokes for fresh salads? There are two main cooking recipes: artichokes are used either fresh and raw, or boiled (or pickled). For a fresh salad, small and fleshy artichokes are suitable. The baskets are cleaned and washed according to the scheme described above, and then cut into neat strips.

artichoke salad recipe

Pickled artichokes.
Fresh arugula leaves.
Cherry tomatoes.
Parmesan cheese.
Balsamic vinegar.

Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters, add whole arugula leaves, marinated artichoke halves and season with grated parmesan cheese, sprinkling lightly ready salad top with balsamic vinegar. It turns out the dish is very tasty and light, unusual in taste.

Exists great amount recipes and tips on how to cook artichokes. Many cooks add artichokes to pasta and also stuff artichoke baskets. The main thing is not to be afraid of the exotic species of these plants and to know how to cook it correctly. Feel free to get creative in the kitchen, maybe you can invent yourself perfect recipe fine dining with artichokes, please your family with an unusual dinner. Artichokes are a wonderful dietary product, extremely rich in vitamins and microelements. And if you have never bought or cooked them before, then start with something very simple. For example treat yourself to breakfast fresh salad with artichokes.

Artichokes play a big role in Italian cuisine, in our area, this plant is mostly treated with distrust. Many have come across artichokes on the shelves in supermarkets or on the pages of magazines. I suggest you find out what is the use of this plant and how to eat it correctly.

Residents of the Nordic countries rarely show a desire to cook an artichoke on their own at home. Some are confused by the appearance of his plant, others simply do not know which side to get close to him. However, this exotic vegetable for our country deserves the attention of housewives due to its benefits and unique palatability in combination with many products.

What does an artichoke look like?

In nature, the artichoke looks like a huge weed. Its height can reach 2m.

The appearance of artichoke fruits can be called unattractive. They resemble thistles or hop cones.

The appearance of a vegetable can be different: oblong or round, green or purple fruits, with and without thorns - these differences are explained by the variety of varieties. According to various sources, there are from 95 to 135 artichoke species in the world.

Interestingly, despite the abundance of varieties, the artichoke in many countries is considered just a weed. In fact, only 2 types are often eaten - cardon and sowing artichoke.

It is very important when buying a "vegetable" to pay attention to the degree of its maturity. Only young green plants are suitable for eating, the size of which may vary from diameter walnut to the size of a small orange.

Important: If the upper leaves have dried up and opened up, and a reddish fluff is visible between them, refrain from buying - the older the artichoke, the less suitable it is for eating.

Artichoke: useful properties and contraindications

Due to the content of inulin (a polysaccharide that is broken down in the body to fructose) in the artichoke, it is useful for diabetes.
The content of potassium and sodium in the plant makes it useful for people with high acidity of gastric juice. In addition, potassium helps to cope with puffiness.
The benefits of artichoke are manifested in lowering cholesterol levels in the body
It is also worth noting the anti-inflammatory and choleretic effect of the artichoke.
Tonic action
Help with urolithiasis
Antioxidant
A good remedy for colds and viral diseases
Useful for anemia due to iron content
Cynarin in artichoke improves cerebral circulation

Contraindications

Gastritis
Decreased acidity of the stomach
Low blood pressure
Liver failure
Pregnancy
Lactation
Age up to 12 years
Cholelithiasis

What vitamins does an artichoke contain?

Water is the main ingredient in the artichoke. Its content in the artichoke reaches 85%. The plant, in addition to the high content of proteins and fiber, is rich in vitamins of different groups:

Group B - thiamine - riboflavin, niacin, etc.
Vitamin C - ascorbic acid
Vitamin E - tocopherol
Vitamin K

What vitamins are contained in the artichoke. The benefits of artichokes

Health benefits of artichoke tea

Interesting: In Vietnam, the use of dried artichoke tea is widespread.

Add to your regular tea 1/4 tsp. artichoke - with hyperacidity or inflammatory processes of the digestive tract
Has a laxative effect
It has a mild diuretic effect. The peculiarity of artichoke tea is that it does not remove potassium and sodium from the body, but is their source, unlike other diuretics.
Helps normalize and improve metabolism
Prevents infections of internal organs
Reduces damage from alcohol intoxication
Helps reduce blood sugar levels
Good Antioxidant
Has anti-cancer activity

You can buy artichoke tea in bags or buy it as a dried herb. Use 1 sachet or 1.5 tsp per glass of boiling water. dry leaves. Let the tea brew for 5-7 minutes and drink before meals. If you use tea for preventive purposes or for general health, drink it once a day, with medicinal plant- 3 times a day before meals.

A spoonful of honey will help to brighten up the bitter taste.

How do you eat artichokes, with what?

Artichokes are valued for their versatility of taste, as they go well with any food. There is no cooking problem in cooking artichokes.

You can add this plant to salads, bake a pie, combine with meat and fish as a side dish. Feel free to experiment by creating your own unique recipes.

The peculiarity of artichokes is that they can be eaten at any stage of maturity. However, prepare them different ways: for example, use young artichokes raw, preserve or pickle medium-ripe inflorescences, and mature ones can be boiled or stewed.

For example, you can even cook artichokes as a dish on their own:

You will need young artichokes, butter, garlic, salt and pepper
Rinse the artichokes under running water, remove the top leaves
Put the oil cut into thin slices between the leaves of the inflorescence
Add in the same way, between the leaves, garlic, salt and pepper
Steam for 15-20 minutes

Important: Do not use ripe artichokes that have already opened for cooking - they acquire a strong bad taste that interrupts even the overall taste of the dish.

Artichoke bottoms: appetizers

Clean the artichokes before cooking.

Cut off the leg
Remove top leaves
Cut good leaves on top of your finger
Rinse under running water or in water with the juice of one lemon
If you cook artichokes, throw them into boiling water, after salting it and adding lemon juice. Check for doneness with a fork
If you are only using the bottom of the artichoke - Scoop it out with a teaspoon to remove the fluff

Important: Put the peeled artichokes in water with lemon juice or sprinkle slices with lemon juice, otherwise the inflorescences will darken.

stuffed bottoms

You will need: 8 ripe artichokes, 500g minced meat, 1 onion, 2 eggs, 2 cups breadcrumbs, spices - salt, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, herbs - dill or parsley
For the sauce: 2 onions, a head of garlic, celery, 2 carrots, Bell pepper, 300 ml of water, salt, pepper, turmeric, 1 tbsp starch, bay leaf, allspice peas.
For frying: olive oil, eggs and flour
Prepare the bottoms of the artichoke and put in water with lemon, finely chop the onion
Make the sauce: finely chop the onion, rub the garlic on a fine grater, cut the carrots into strips or cubes, chop the celery and sweet pepper as finely as possible.
Sauté the onion a little, add the garlic and vegetables, turmeric for a yellowish tint, and pour in the water. Stew a little and add salt, black pepper, allspice, bay leaf. At the end, thicken everything with starch
Make minced meat, beef is best. Pass the meat along with the onion through a meat grinder, add the egg, spices and crackers
Stuff the bottoms with minced meat until you get the shape of a ball
Dip artichokes in egg and flour and place in a pan with plenty of hot olive oil (deep-fried)
Put the fried bottoms on a baking sheet and simmer in the sauce. Put in the oven for 40 minutes at 160°
Ready yul.da you can sprinkle with dill or parsley

Artichokes baked with eggs

You will need: 2 artichokes, 2 eggs, carrots, turnips, bean pods, asparagus (total 150g vegetables), canned green peas, 125g milk sauce, 8g hard cheese, 15g butter
Dice turnips and carrots and lightly fry
Cut asparagus and beans and boil in salted water
Mix cooked vegetables with green peas
Refuel vegetable mix milk sauce
Boil the bottoms of the artichokes, stuff with vegetable mixture
Put soft-boiled eggs on top.
Rub hard cheese, pour milk sauce
Bake until ready

Artichoke pie

Basically, pickled artichokes are needed for pies. Buy them ready-made or make your own.

You will need (for 3 servings): 4 large artichokes, 2 lemons, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, garlic clove, olive oil, salt, black pepper (preferably freshly ground), a couple of sprigs of parsley
Peel the artichokes and boil in water acidified with lemon juice for 30-40 minutes, until soft
Cut the artichokes in half
Prepare the dressing with the rest of the ingredients
Season the artichoke and let stand in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours

Pie with cherry tomatoes and feta

You will need: for the breeze dough - 150g flour, 75g low-fat yogurt, 2 tbsp. margarine, 1 tsp salt.
For the pie - 150g marinated artichokes, 200ml cream, 150g feta, 4 chicken eggs, 20 cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper
Start making the pie by preparing the dough. Mix salt and flour
Add margarine and yogurt, mix well
Put the dough in the refrigerator for 1-1.5 hours
Cut the artichokes into 4 pieces
Crumble the Feta
Cut the tomatoes in half
Whip eggs with cream
Add artichokes, tomatoes and feta to the resulting mass, salt and pepper
Put the dough into the form, put the mixture on top
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 200°

You will need: 540g puff pastry, 80ml cream, 120g feta, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper, wheat flour
cut the artichokes
Crumble the Feta
Mix feta and cream in a blender, add salt and pepper to taste
Roll out the dough and place on baking paper
Spread the filling on top, artichokes on top of it
Beat the egg and brush around the edges of the dough
Bake 15 minutes at 220°, then 20-25 minutes at 190°

You will need: 1 shallot and 1 red onion, 110g butter, 800g marinated artichokes, 480g ham, 240g hard cheese, 3 chicken eggs, 3 tbsp. wheat flour, 120ml cream, 60g parmesan, 2 puff pastry, salt, black pepper and hot red pepper
Chop the onion and fry in butter
Dice artichokes and ham
Put the onion with oil in a large bowl and add the flour
2 eggs, beaten and pour into a bowl with onions and flour
Grate hard cheese and parmesan coarse grater, pour into a bowl
Add black pepper, red pepper and salt
Throw in the artichokes and ham
Pour in the cream and mix thoroughly
Put one layer of dough into a mold, put the filling, cover with a second layer
Pinch the edges
Beat one egg and brush the surface
Bake 45 minutes at 175°

Pizza with leeks and bacon

You will need: 6 pieces of bacon, 200g marinated artichokes, 1 leek, 30ml olive oil, 300g pizza dough, 50g parmesan cheese, salt, black ground pepper, parsley
Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan
Fry the onion
Lay the dough out on a baking sheet
Place onion and chopped artichokes on top, season with salt and pepper
Bake 10-15 minutes
Finish with grated Parmesan and top with chopped bacon.
You can decorate with herbs or onions

Salads with artichokes

There are many recipes for artichoke salads. Some prefer simple salads, in which the taste of the plant is clearly felt. Others prefer culinary multicomponent masterpieces different cuisines peace.

Vegetable salad

You will need artichokes, celery, tomatoes, apples, lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt, pepper
Boil the bottoms of the artichokes and cut into cubes
Cut celery root into strips
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the skin (preferably the seeds), cut
cut an apple
Mix the ingredients, add some lemon juice, spices
Fill with vegetable oil

Salad with egg

You will need artichokes, eggs, mayonnaise
Boil artichoke leaves until tender, cut
Hard boil eggs, cut
Mix artichokes with eggs and season with mayonnaise
You can add some garlic

Greek artichoke salad

You will need 8 artichokes, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tomatoes, garlic, spices (salt, pepper), 1 tsp. olive oil, herbs - optional
Clean and cut artichokes
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the skin and seeds, chop
mix vegetables
Crush the garlic, mix with spices, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil
Season the resulting mixture with vegetables and keep in the refrigerator for 1-1.5 hours

You will need: 4 large artichokes, 1 lemon, 50 ml dry white wine, 50 ml white wine vinegar, 6 anchovy fillets in oil, 1 tbsp. capers in salt, olive oil, spices
Peel the artichokes
Add lemon juice, wine, salt, vinegar to cold water
Boil the artichokes in this water for 15-20 minutes.
Turn boiled artichokes over and dry for a day
Finely chop artichokes, mix with capers, anchovies, olive oil
Add pepper
Grind the resulting mass with a blender to a puree state
Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container

Important: The sauce should be oily, feel free to add more oil if needed.

artichoke calories

Artichokes are famous for their medicinal properties, while being a dietary product.

Low calorie content - useful for obesity. Nutritional value per 100g: proteins - 4g, carbohydrates - 70g. Energy value(calories) per 100g: 30Kcal

Artichoke - a source of youth, video

Do you know what dish can be made using artichokes? stew and boiled lunch will be presented in this article. In addition, we will tell you about what this product is and where it is especially popular.

General product information artichoke

Recipes using this ingredient are very popular in the United States of America (especially in California).

As you know, the birthplace of this product is the Mediterranean. It was brought to North America by Spanish and French settlers.

What are artichokes? Recipes for the preparation of this product cannot be used by housewives without knowledge of how it looks and where it can be purchased.

The artichoke is herbaceous plant which belongs to the Compositae family. It has large inflorescences and lower fleshy parts, which, in fact, are used for cooking. various dishes.

In culinary artichokes, it is customary to call unblown flowers that consist of large and fleshy scales.

To make delicious nutritious dish using this product, it is possible to acquire both young buds-inflorescences, and later ones - cones. Both those and other elements of the plant can always be found in supermarkets. However, I want to immediately warn you that they are quite expensive. That is why artichoke dishes are prepared only on holidays and are served at the table as a real delicacy.

Where is the artichoke used? Cooking

Recipes that include artichoke are not known to all housewives. But if you decide to surprise your guests, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with several ways to prepare this product.

Small cones of artichokes are ideal for appetizers. As for the medium-sized product, it can be used for frying or stewing. Besides, given ingredient very often added to various salads. To do this, the fresh artichoke heart is cut into thin slices and mixed with other ingredients. In its raw form, this ingredient quite strongly resembles an unripe walnut.

Needless to say, this product goes well with rice dishes(for example, with Italian risotto).

Making Artichoke Salad

What kind of salad can be made using artichokes? Snack recipes may include the use of different products. We decided to tell you about how to easily and quickly make delicious

So, we need the following ingredients:

large sweet apple - 1 pc.;
large artichoke - 4 pcs.;
Parmesan cheese - about 100 g;
green onion - a small bunch;
ripe lemon - ½ pc.;
olive oil - 4 large spoons;
salt, crushed pepper - add to taste.

Cooking process

How should an artichoke be processed? Salad recipes include the use of only fresh products. Large artichokes are cleaned of surface leaves, and then the fleshy core is thinly sliced. After that, lemon juice squeezed from half the fruit, black pepper and olive oil are mixed in a separate bowl. Parmesan is then chopped into thin slices. The peeled sweet apple is crushed in exactly the same way.

All ingredients are laid out in a common container, artichokes, salt are added to them and seasoned lemon sauce. After mixing the products, they are laid out in a deep salad bowl and sprinkled with chopped

Simmering artichokes on the stove

How should artichokes be stewed? Recipes for cooking various dishes using this product must be present in cookbook every hostess. If you want to get delicious or fish, then we suggest stewing artichokes on the stove. For this we need:

large artichokes - 4 pcs.;
vegetable broth - 2 full glasses;
olive oil (not flavored) - optional;
garlic cloves - 3 pcs.;
semi-sweet white wine - ½ cup;
fresh parsley - apply to taste;
sea salt, allspice at your discretion.

Cooking method

What needs to be done to stew an artichoke deliciously? Recipes (we will present reviews of the side dish below) of dishes using this product require careful processing of all ingredients. First of all, prepare the artichokes. They are washed well warm water and then cut in half lengthwise.

Highly heated olive oil in a deep saucepan, put half artichokes and chopped garlic cloves into it. The ingredients are fried over medium heat for about five minutes. After that, white semi-sweet wine is poured into them and it is evaporated.

Having carried out all the above steps, finely chopped greens are added to the pan, and then the broth is poured. Cover the dishes with a lid, stew the artichokes for 10 minutes. After that, the lid is removed and the broth is boiled down a little, having previously peppered it and salted it.

It is advisable to serve such a side dish to the table along with fried meat or white fish, steamed. According to the reviews of hostesses who often prepare such a dish for their family, it turns out to be very tasty, and most importantly, healthy and nutritious. Try it!

Cooking artichokes

How else can you process an artichoke? Cooking dishes using this product can be carried out not only by stewing, but also by cooking on the stove. For this we need a set of products:

large artichoke - 2 pcs.;
lemon - 1 pc.;
table salt - at the discretion;
lemon juice - 2 large spoons (for sauce);
olive oil - 2 large spoons (for sauce);
chopped parsley - a large pinch.

Artichoke cooking process

Before proceeding to heat treatment artichokes, rinse them, and then cut off the stem to the base. After that, it is required to remove the outer dried or damaged petals from the product. So that the cut does not turn black, it should be immediately rubbed with fresh lemon.

After processing the product, it is laid out in boiling and slightly salted water. Cover the top of the artichokes with a saucer so that they do not float to the surface. In this form, they are boiled together with lemon for about half an hour.

After the specified time, the artichokes are removed from the dishes and put in cold water (you can add ice cubes). After that, soft cones are cut lengthwise in half and divided into constituent elements. They are used as a delicacy along with homemade sauce. It is made by mixing olive oil, chopped parsley and lemon juice.

Marinating artichokes

How should you pickle an artichoke? Cooking recipes (you can find a photo of the dish in this article) marinade is good to use if you want to make a tasty and spicy snack for holiday table. For this we need:

drinking water - 1 l;
peeled artichokes - about 10 pieces;
table vinegar - 3 large spoons;
table salt - 2 dessert spoons;
white sugar - about 100 g;
spices (bay leaves, chili, cloves, garlic) - at the discretion;
olive oil - optional.

Marinade preparation

For cooking spicy snack Artichokes are cleaned of old leaves, and then the leg is cut off. After that, water is poured into the pan and lemon juice is squeezed out. Artichokes are cut in half and dipped in a previously prepared liquid so that they do not darken.

Pour water into a deep saucepan and add vinegar. When the liquid boils, salt and seasonings are laid out to it to taste. Add artichokes to the resulting marinade and let them boil a little (about 5 minutes). After that, the products are thrown into a colander and shaken vigorously.

Ready artichokes are placed in sterilized jars, poured with calcined olive oil and tightly closed with lids. In this form, the filled containers are cooled and put into the pantry. A few weeks later, pickled artichokes are boldly consumed as a savory snack.