Artichokes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the artichokes thoroughly in several waters, ensuring no insects remain.
Trim the leaves at the bottom and cut off the stems.
Boil
Place the artichokes in boiling water with the salt and baking soda.
Keep the saucepan uncovered and boil until tender, checking with a fork or by testing if the leaves can be pulled off easily.
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
- Form the dish itself; their fibrous leaves and base soften as they cook.
- Baking soda
- Raises the alkalinity of the cooking water, which can help the artichokes soften faster.
The step that matters
Boil until tender, then test. Overcooking makes the base mushy and the leaves limp, while undercooking leaves them tough. Testing with a fork or a gentle leaf pull shows when the tissue has softened enough. Keeping the pan uncovered lets some volatile compounds escape and helps preserve the green colour.
“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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