How to cook artichokes?

The different methods for cooking artichokes

White and green artichokes can be cooked in two ways: steamed (put them in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes), or in boiling, lightly salted water for about 30 minutes.

For them to cook well, remember to break off their stems by hand before cooking them, and place them upside down in the pan.

To discover

• Recipes, tips, chef's secrets... Download the Le Figaro Cuisine app

The purple artichokes, on the other hand, can be steamed or cooked in a pan, but the cooking times will have to be shortened.

They can also be cut into slices and tossed in a pan with a little oil.

In this case, just fry them for 5-6 minutes until they are a little golden.

How long does it take to cook an artichoke?

While about ten minutes are enough to cook a purple artichoke, it will take at least 20 minutes for a green artichoke or a white artichoke.

Cooking can reach half an hour with cooking in a saucepan.

To know if an artichoke is cooked, you simply have to try to tear off a leaf: it should come easily, without you having to work hard on it.

On the other hand, if the leaves fall spontaneously before you even touch it, it is because it is overcooked.

It is then completely edible, and it is only its aesthetics that will suffer.

Another technique is to stick the tip of a knife into the bottom of the artichoke: it should come out clean.

If so, the artichoke is cooked and ready to eat.

Once cooked, we recommend keeping the artichokes cool and consuming them within 24 hours.

Indeed, the artichoke is a rather fragile vegetable once cooked: it oxidizes quickly.

Read alsoHow to cook your vegetables to keep all the benefits?

Why cook artichokes upside down?

If we recommend keeping the artichokes upside down in the pan throughout the cooking time, it is to prevent the water from remaining in the heart of the artichoke.

Indeed, it could give it a rather unpleasant spongy side and take away all its flavor.

It is therefore strongly recommended to cook it upside down in boiling water, then to drain it carefully, always upside down.

How to cook artichokes so that they are more digestible?

Steaming is the best method, as it preserves all the good nutrients present in the artichoke.

In the case of cooking in a saucepan, to make the artichoke more digestible and avoid bloating and the gas it can cause, it is recommended to put a few drops of lemon in boiling water.

This will also slow down the oxidation phenomenon that threatens the artichoke as soon as it is cooked.

In video, 5 tips and tricks to keep your fruits and vegetables fresh longer

Can you eat artichokes raw?

There are three kinds of artichokes:

• White

  artichokes

  , or artichokes from Brittany, which are quite large and are purchased individually: they are eaten with vinaigrette, usually steamed.

• Green

  artichokes

  from Laon, which resemble the first, but which are mainly cooked in soup.

• Violet

  artichokes

  from Provence, or poivrade artichokes, which are much smaller and sold in bouquets: their flavor is milder.

Purple artichokes can be eaten raw, but they are the only artichokes that do without cooking.

They can be eaten raw, in salads or barigoule for example.

In this case, they must be soaked in lemon juice to prevent them from oxidizing, as artichoke leaves tend to blacken quickly.

Green and white artichokes, on the other hand, must always be cooked before being cooked.