Select a large bowl or bucket that will hold the
artichokes and fill it with cold water. Cut the
lemon into halves and squeeze the juice of one
half into the bowl of water. Don't worry about the
pips and such; in fact chuck the spent lemon half
into the water as well. This is your acidulated
water that will prevent the artichokes from
turning black as you prepare them.
Choose a large, sharp, heavy knife and cut away
the top third of the artichoke. Trim the stem to
about 10 cm and immediately plunge the whole
artichoke into the lemon water to prevent
oxidization. Pull away the coarse outer leaves and
discard, snapping until you reach the pale and
soft inner section. Using a vegetable peeler, or a
very sharp paring knife, peel the stem and trim
the base of the bud until it is pale and smooth.
Periodically dip the artichoke into the acidulated
water as you go along, then plunge the whole thing
into the acid water when you are done.
The artichokes can be stored like this for up to 6
hours before you cook them. Bring a large
stainless steel pot of water to the boil, around 4
or 5 litres if possible (just over a gallon).
Place the flour in a small bowl and whisk to a
paste with a little bit of cold water. Add this
paste to the boiling water and whisk well, then
add the salt and juice of the other half lemon.
When the water returns to the boil, turn it down
to a good simmer and add the artichokes. Place a
plate on top to keep them submerged. Simmer for 9-
10 minutes and then poke them with a skewer or a
fork. If the skewer sinks in with ease, they are
done, but if there is any resistance, keep cooking
for a few minutes more. Do not simmer artichokes
for 30-plus minutes under any reasonable
circumstances - ever.
When cooked, lift the artichokes out and stand
them flower side down on a dinner plate to cool.
When the poaching liquid has cooled, move the
artichokes to a non-metal container and cover with
the liquid. Store these in the refrigerator for up
to 3 days.
Originally Submitted
1/1/2011
0 Out of 5 from
0 reviews
You can add this Poached Artichokes recipe to your own private DesktopCookbook.
