My mom first encountered artichokes in college in Los Angeles in the late 50s. She was babysitting for a family who left instructions for her on how to cook this strange looking vegetable. She dutifully followed the instructions to cook them, and then removed the leaves to serve to the kids and threw out the hearts! Thankfully the kid’s mom eventually set her straight, and to this day mom still bemoans the loss of those hearts. Anyway, if you love artichokes, here’s a great way to prepare them on the grill. The trick is to steam them first. Artichokes take a long time to cook, and like moist heat, so it’s best to just grill them at the end for the grill marks and smoky flavor. Cut them in half so the steam penetrates the center more easily and the artichokes cook faster and more evenly. Steam them instead of boiling them so they don’t get too soggy from the water and they stay dry enough to get good browning on the grill. Sprinkle with salt and lemon juice to serve. Yum! To prepare the artichokes, have lemon wedges ready. If you want a nice presentation, use scissors to snip away the pointy tips of the artichoke leaves. As you trim the artichokes, rub the cut areas with juice from the lemon wedges to prevent the artichokes from turning brown from oxidation. Use a vegetable peeler to cut away the thick outer layer of the artichoke stems. Trim the stems to 2 inches from the base of the artichoke. Cut off and discard the top 1/2 inch of the artichokes. Cut the artichokes in half. Cover. Steam for 20 minutes (less or more, depending on the size of the artichokes), until you can easily pull off the outer leaves, and you can pierce the heart easily with a knife. The artichokes can be just a tiny bit less cooked than would be typically perfect for steamed artichokes, as you will be cooking them further on the grill. Place the artichoke halves cut-side-down on the grill grates. Cover, and grill for 5 to 10 minutes, until you have nice grill mark on the cut sides of the artichokes. To serve, sprinkle the cut sides with more lemon juice. Serve alone or with mayonnaise, remoulade, or aioli. How to cook and eat an artichoke here on Simply Recipes Grilled artichoke stems with tarragon butter from White on Rice Couple Whole roasted artichokes from Pinch My Salt Kimchi sour cream with grilled artichokes from Viet World Kitchen How NOT to roast stuffed artichokes - wise advice from Chef John of Food Wishes
