A Note Before You Start
Not all parts of the artichoke are edible. I recommend cutting off the top half inch or so of the artichoke depending upon how large your artichokes are.
Ingredients
For the Artichokes:
3 medium artichokes
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
For the Lemon & Garlic Aioli:
¼ cup of sour cream
⅔ cup of store bought mayonnaise
1 lemon zested* and juiced
2 TBSP of finely chopped herbs of choice (I like flat leaf parsley, chives, and dill)
2 medium cloves of garlic minced
½ tsp of dry mustard (if you don’t have dry mustard, you can substitute 1 tsp of jared dijon
Salt and white pepper to taste
Preparation
Step 1:
Take a half of lemon and rub the surface of the freshly cut top to slow down the oxidation process.
Step 2
I recommend cutting off the top half inch or so of the artichoke depending upon how large your artichokes are.
Step 3:
Take kitchen scissors and trim off the sharp pointy ends of the remaining intact leaves.
Step 4:
Fill a stainless steel pot with 3” to 4” of water. If you have a steamer, place it inside the pan.
Step 5:
Add 2 TBSP of olive oil to the water and 1 tsp of salt. If you have a steamer, place it inside the pan and bring the water to a boil. Place your whole artichokes in the pan upside down, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the stem is fork tender. Depending upon the size of your artichoke, this will take about 40 minutes. Make sure to check your water level during the steaming/cooking process.
Step 6:
In the meantime, make the aioli by adding all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Step 7:
Refrigerate to chill.
Step 8:
Once your artichokes are cooked, carefully remove them from the steamer/pot, and cut in half.
Just above the base of the artichoke is the heart which is both edible and delicious. Above the heart is the choke which is not edible. Gently remove it with a spoon and discard.
Pluck the leaves of the artichoke and dip in the lemon/garlic aioli. Buon Appetito!