Steaming Artichokes: Quick And Easy With A Pressure Cooker

Artichokes are a delicious and healthy treat, but they can be a pain to prepare. Cooking them in a pressure cooker makes the process faster and easier. Here's a step-by-step guide to steaming artichokes in a pressure cooker:

First, wash the artichokes and remove any damaged outer leaves. Then, use a sharp knife to trim the stems and cut off the top third of each artichoke. You can also snip off the thorny tips of the external leaves, but this is mostly for aesthetics as they will soften during cooking. To prevent browning, rub the cut edges with lemon juice.

Next, add water to your pressure cooker and place a trivet or steamer basket inside. You can also add aromatics like garlic, bay leaves, or lemon slices to infuse extra flavor. Place the artichokes on the trivet or steamer basket, either stem-side-down or stem-side-up. Close the lid and select the manual high-pressure mode.

The cooking time will depend on the size of your artichokes. For large artichokes, cook for 15 minutes, for medium artichokes, cook for 10 minutes, and for small artichokes, cook for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, carefully release the pressure and enjoy your artichokes hot or chilled.

Serve your steamed artichokes with a dipping sauce such as melted butter, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or mayonnaise. To eat, simply pull off an outer leaf, dip it in your sauce, and scrape the soft cooked flesh at the base of the leaf with your teeth. Discard the tough, inedible part of the leaf. Continue until you reach the heart, which is the tender and delicious center of the artichoke.

How to choose a great artichoke

Choosing a great artichoke is the first step to steaming a delicious artichoke in a pressure cooker. Here are some tips on how to select the best artichokes:

• Look for brightly coloured artichokes with tightly packed leaves. A small amount of brown colouration is acceptable, but if the leaves are splayed, the artichoke is likely older and less fresh.
• Artichokes should feel heavy for their size. If they feel deceptively light, they may be dry and less meaty.
• The leaves of a fresh artichoke should squeak when gently squeezed.
• Frost-kissed leaves do not mean the artichoke is bad. In fact, artichokes with white frosty spots tend to be sweeter and more tender.
• Size matters! If you love the leaves, opt for small artichokes as they are more tender and sweeter. If you prefer the heart, go for larger artichokes as they have bigger hearts.
• Artichokes are in season from March to June.

Now that you've chosen your artichokes, it's time to prepare and cook them! Here are the steps to steam artichokes in a pressure cooker:

• Remove any small, dry leaves from the bottom of the stem.
• Cut about an inch off the top of each artichoke.
• Using scissors, trim the sharp tips off each outer leaf.
• Cut the base of the stem so that the artichokes can rest flat.
• Rub the cut surfaces of the artichokes with lemon to prevent browning.
• Place a trivet or steamer basket in your pressure cooker and add water. You can also add aromatics like garlic, bay leaves, or lemon slices for extra flavour.
• Place the artichokes in the pressure cooker, either stem-side down or stem-side up. Close the lid and cook at high pressure for 5-25 minutes, depending on the size of your artichokes.
• Once the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.
• Your artichokes are ready to eat! Serve them hot or chilled with your favourite dipping sauce.

How to prep artichokes for cooking

Preparing artichokes for cooking is simple and can be done in a few easy steps.

First, remove any small leaves towards the bottom of the stem. These should come off easily by hand. Next, use a sharp knife to slice off the artichoke stems, leaving about a quarter of an inch intact. Then, cut about half an inch to an inch from the top of each artichoke. You can use kitchen scissors or a serrated knife to trim the sharp tips of each outer leaf.

Optionally, you can rub the tops of the artichokes with lemon wedges to help maintain their colour. Artichokes will darken a bit when cooked, but lemon will help them retain more of their green colour.

Finally, rinse the artichokes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then, rub some lemon on the cut surfaces to prevent browning.

How to cook artichokes in an Instant Pot

Ingredients:

• 2 medium artichokes
• 1.5 cups water
• 2-4 cloves garlic, to taste
• 1/2 lemon, sliced into wedges
• Fresh herbs, to taste

Method:

• Prep your artichokes by trimming the stems and removing the top third using a serrated knife.
• Using kitchen shears, trim the tips of the leaves.
• Rinse the artichokes under water, spreading out the leaves to let the water flow through and flush out any dirt.
• Rub the cut sections of the artichokes with lemon wedges to minimise browning.
• Place the garlic, lemon wedges and fresh herbs (if using) into your Instant Pot.
• Place the Instant Pot trivet on top and gently pour in the water.
• Arrange the artichokes upside down in a single layer on the trivet.
• Place the lid on your Instant Pot and lock it into place, ensuring the release valve is closed.
• Using the manual mode, cook the artichokes on HIGH pressure. The time will depend on the size of your artichokes:

• Small artichokes: 5 minutes
• Medium artichokes: 10-15 minutes
• Large artichokes: 15-20 minutes

• It will take around 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to reach pressure.
• Once the cook time is up, quick release the pressure.
• When the pressure is completely released, carefully unlock and remove the lid.
• Remove the artichokes with tongs or a large spoon. Slice in half and enjoy warm with your favourite dipping sauce, or as they are!

Tips:

• Artichokes are the flowers of the artichoke plant and not all of it is edible. The part we eat is the heart, located in the centre.
• When selecting an artichoke, look for those with closed petals, as these are fresher and more tender.
• Opt for artichokes that feel heavy for their size, as lighter ones are likely to be drier and produce less meat.
• Greener artichokes are fresher. Wilted and dry artichokes will taste bland.

How to serve artichokes

Artichokes are a great side dish, appetiser, or light main course. They can be served hot or cold, and are often accompanied by a dipping sauce.

Artichokes are a special occasion food for some, and a great excuse to eat a lot of butter! They are also a nutrient powerhouse, with high levels of antioxidants and dietary fibre.

How to Prepare Artichokes for Cooking:

First, remove any small, dry outer leaves from the bottom of the stem. You can do this by hand. Then, cut the stem, leaving about a quarter of an inch, and use a sharp knife to cut the top inch or two off the artichoke. This will expose the inside and allow the steam to penetrate. You can also use scissors to trim the sharp tips off each outer leaf.

Rubbing lemon on the cut surfaces of the artichoke will help to prevent browning.

Cooking Artichokes:

Place a trivet or steamer basket inside your pressure cooker, and add water. Put the artichokes on top, either stem side up or down—it doesn't seem to make a difference! Close the lid and cook for around 10-25 minutes, depending on the size of the artichoke.

When the artichokes are done, you should be able to easily pull off the leaves and scrape the soft, pulpy side with your teeth.

Dipping Sauces:

Artichokes are often served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as:

• Melted butter, or garlic butter
• Mayo, or lemon mayo
• Aioli, or mayo with garlic
• Hollandaise sauce
• Avocado chimichurri sauce
• Lemon dill cream sauce
• Tartar sauce

How to eat artichokes

Artichokes are a delicacy, but they can be a pain to prepare. The pressure cooker makes it faster and easier to cook artichokes to perfection. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare and eat artichokes using a pressure cooker.

Preparing Artichokes for the Pressure Cooker:

Before cooking artichokes, you need to trim them. Wash the artichokes and remove any small, dry outer leaves at the base. Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem, leaving about a quarter to half an inch. Then, cut off the top inch or so of the artichoke to expose the inside, which will allow steam to penetrate. You can also use kitchen scissors to trim the sharp tips of the outer leaves.

Rubbing lemon juice on the cut surfaces can help prevent browning, though it's not necessary as artichokes tend to darken when cooked.

Cooking Artichokes in the Pressure Cooker:

Place a trivet or steamer basket inside your pressure cooker and add water—the amount of water will depend on the size of your cooker. You can also add aromatics like garlic, bay leaves, lemon slices, or rosemary to the water for extra flavour.

Place the prepared artichokes on the trivet or steamer basket, stem side up or down—either way works. Close the lid and set the timer, taking into account the size of your artichokes. For small artichokes, cook for around 10 minutes, medium artichokes for 15 minutes, and large artichokes for 20-25 minutes.

When the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure. You'll know your artichokes are done when a knife slides easily into the bottom.

Eating Artichokes:

Artichokes can be served hot or cold and are typically enjoyed as an appetizer or side dish. Here's how to eat them:

• Pull off an outer leaf.
• Dip the base of the leaf into melted butter, garlic butter, mayonnaise, or another sauce of your choice.
• Pull the leaf through your teeth, using your bottom teeth to scrape off the soft, pulpy flesh.
• Discard the remaining part of the leaf.
• Repeat until you reach the heart, the best part of the artichoke, in my opinion! You can eat this with a fork.

Underneath the heart, you'll find the choke, which is fuzzy and inedible. Scrape out and discard the choke, then enjoy the rest of the tender vegetable attached to the stem.

Frequently asked questions