
Have you ever walked down the produce aisle, looked at the artichokes, and just kept walking? That used to be me, when I was intimidated by the appearance of them. In fact, many people say that an artichoke is the one vegetable they don’t know how to cook. Fear not, this easy recipe for steamed artichoke will remove all doubt that this vegetable is hard to cook!
Like most of my recipes, this guide to making steamed artichokes is quite Mediterranean. The end result is a clean and fresh tasting classic artichoke recipe. Pair it with a Spanish vermouth cocktail for a perfect terrace snack. Let’s begin!
How To Make Steamed Artichoke At Home

If you don’t have a steamer at home, don’t worry – you can make one with basic household kitchenware. All you really need is a large pot, and a slightly smaller metal basket. I just used my fruit washing basket and flipped it upside down. In the pot add a few inches (5-6 cm) of water, a few bay leaves, and an onion that’s been halved. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and toss that in as well. Bring to a boil.

Next place your halved artichoke cut side down on the grate. Are you wondering why I have not given thorough instructions for prepping an artichoke? Well, truth be told there really isn’t much to do. Cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop out the fuzz and purple leaves. All the nonsense about snipping the tips of the leaves, or using a peeler on the stem is just extra work I find completely unnecessary.

Lower the heat to medium and place the lid on the pot. Voila! That’s pretty much all you need to do to steam artichokes. Now wait for 20 minutes, remove, and serve. Hmm, although there are a few other things you can add to make these steamed artichokes more delicious.
Seasoning The Steamed Artichokes

Remove the steamed artichoke halves from the steamer (makeshift or proper) and place them on a plate. To finish these off I just do the classic Mediterranean method of a good drizzle of quality olive oil, some flaky sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Delicious!

If you want to up the presentation factor a bit then you can serve the seasoned steamed artichoke halves with some lemon wedges and homemade mayonnaise to dip. To eat an artichoke just pull off the inside petals and use your teeth to scrape off the ‘meat’ from the bottom. Finally use a spoon to scoop out the ‘heart’ (the soft spongy part below where the fuzz used to be) and eat that part – it’s the best!

Steamed Artichoke
Equipment
- Steamer (or a Pot and a Metal Basket)
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 Artichokes try to get ones that feel dense and squeak a little when your move the petals.
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Lemon
- 1 small White Onion
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper freshly cracked, to taste
- Olive Oil extra virgen, to taste
Instructions
- In a pot/steamer add a few inches of water and put in the bay leaves and halved onion. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon and drop the half in as well. Bring to a boil.
- While waiting for the water to boil cut your artichokes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the 'choke' (the fuzzy center and the purple petals). If the water is taking a while to boil rub some lemon juice on the cut side of the artichoke to prevent browning.
- Place the artichokes cut side down on the steamer tray or upturned metal basket and turn the heat down to medium. Cover with lid and steam for 20 minutes.
- Remove the artichoke halves and dress with olive oil, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with some lemon wedges, and your favorite dip! Mine is just a simple homemade mayonnaise with just a splash of soy sauce.
