The art of cooking artichokes – preparing carciofi trifolati the Italian way

Cooking artichokes can be a tricky business. Luckily, when you have the recipe of a local Tuscan chef, they’re a breeze. Our hosts in Italy know how to prepare them, and do it well, and have shared their secrets below.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 12 artichokes
• 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 T. olive oil
• parsley
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup of hot water

Preparing amazing artichokes, step-by-step:

1. In a bowl, squeeze the lemon juice with a bit of cold water.

2. Then, clean the artichokes by cutting half of the stalk off (about 23 cm from the tips) and removing the external, hard leaves.

3. Immediately brush the artichoke with the lemon to prevent them from turning black when exposed to the air.

4. Cut the artichokes in half and then cut them in thin slices and place them in a bowl of water.

5. Take a saucepan and add the olive oil, plus pressed cloves of garlic and the parsley.

6. When the oil is hot, remove the artichokes from the water and cook them for 5 minutes on a high flame, stirring continually.

7. Lower the flame, add salt and pepper, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.

Pay attention: if the steam is not sufficient to cook the artichokes (this will depend on the quality and freshness of the artichokes and the strength of the gas), add a little hot water, a little at a time.

 

 

How do I know if they’re cooked?

The artichokes will be soft but not falling apart.

You can let them cool and add them to a recipe or use them straightaway in a lasagne or other dish or dip.

Try you skills at a cooking school in Italy…

Interested in joining these professional Italian chefs on an immersive cooking holiday? You can learn more classic recipes alongside them in Tuscany on a short or week-long holiday.