Steamed Artichokes w/Garlic Aioli

If you’ve never eaten a fresh artichoke before, you’re in for a treat. A few things to note: The tips of artichoke leaves are fibrous and can even be thorny. For that reason, some people like to trim off the tips with a pair of kitchen shears before cooking. The flesh at the base of the leaf is edible and can be eaten by scraping it off between your teeth.

The center, or heart, of the artichoke is covered in some beautiful purple and translucent green petals. These translucent and purple parts are poisonous and should be scraped off with a spoon, along with the thistle, to reveal the smooth texture of the creamy artichoke heart.

We recommend steaming your artichoke to retain its water-soluble vitamins and gift yourself with the pure, simple goodness of an Alaska grown artichoke’s flavor profile. You can enjoy your artichoke boiled, though, too, or even grilled. If you boil your ‘choke, we recommend squeezing the juice of one lemon into the pot, too, and tossing in the peal to infuse with extra lemon flavor.

This recipe calls for whisking the garlic aioli together by hand, but it comes together just as well (and a whole lot easier!) in a food processor. The key is to pour the oil in as slowly as you possibly can—otherwise your aioli will separate and you will be very sad.

If you have leftover aioli, it makes a great addition to sandwiches!

https://www.sproutedkitchen.com/home/2012/5/3/simple-artichokes-garlic-aioli.html