Artichoke Bottoms
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch and trim
Blanch the artichokes by placing them in water in a processing kettle.
Cover the artichokes with a heavy iron plate.
Cook the covered artichokes for 3 minutes at 220°F (104°C).
Shave the bottoms evenly with a knife.
Remove all leaves and seeds from the bottoms by hand.
Cook and cool
Place the bottoms in white willow baskets.
Plunge the baskets into a kettle with a solution of bisulphite of soda.
Cook the baskets slowly for 16 minutes.
Cool the baskets in several changes of cold water.
Can and process
Can the baskets in tins or jars.
Process the canned contents in plain boiling water.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Artichokes
- Provide the edible bottoms that form the main body of the dish.
- Bisulphite of soda
- Helps the cut artichoke bottoms keep a light colour during cooking.
The step that matters
Cover the artichokes with a heavy iron plate before blanching. The plate keeps the artichokes submerged in the water so they cook evenly. Artichoke flesh darkens quickly when exposed to air, so keeping every piece under the liquid helps limit discolouration.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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