Boiled Artichoke With A Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Quarter one of the lemons and add to the pot of boiling water.
• Cut the stems off the artichoke and cut the top inch off from the leaves (optional). You can also use scissors to cut the pointed tips off the leaves if you desire.
• Boil the artichokes for 35 minutes or until you can easily pull away one of the lower leaves.
• Fill individual ramekins with 1 tbsp of butter each and microwave until butter is melted (approximately 30 seconds).
• Stir the garlic paste into the ramekins of butter.
• Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon into the ramekins.
• To eat: pull the leaves off the artichoke, dip in sauce, and scrape the meat off the leaf with your teeth. Once you are out of leaves use a spoon to scrape out the "hair" of the artichoke and then eat the heart of the artichoke (the best part!) by dipping in the butter sauce.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Cut off the bottom stems of the artichokes with a serrated knife and rub the artichoke bottoms with the lemon. Cut about 2 inches off the top of the artichoke, drizzle some lemon juice over the top as well.
• Optional: Using kitchen scissors, snip off prickly ends of each leaf for easier enjoyment later.
• Place the artichokes in a steamer and steam 40 to 50 minutes, or until the bottoms are tender when pierced and the leaves pulls out easily. When it's done, quickly plunge into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and drain.
• While steaming the artichokes, prepare the garlic for the sauce: Cut off top of garlic bulb (enough to expose tops of most garlic cloves). Drizzle enough olive oil over the cut cloves to drench the top and sides, sprinkle a pinch of salt as well. Wrap foil around the garlic bulb and seal at the top. Roast in 400 degree oven (I use my little toaster oven) for about 30-40 minutes until soft and roasted, browned around the tops and edges is a good indicator. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves from their bulbs by pressing with your hands from the bottom of the bulbs to the top (cut side) into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise and sour cream, and stir with fork to blend well. Add salt if needed and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• To eat the artichoke, pull the leaves and dip the bottom tender part into the sauce, pull the tender "meat" with your teeth on the bottom part of the leaves, don't eat (discard) the rough tops. Towards the inside you can bite off more of the tender bottoms of the leaves. Towards the heart of the artichoke, you will see pins and needle-like fuzzy stuff which you can scrape off with a spoon, then you can eat the best part of all, the center or "heart" of the artichoke.

Steps:

• Place steamer rack in large pot. Fill pot with enough water to come just to bottom of rack. Cut stems and top 1 1/2 inches from artichokes. Cut away first outside row of artichoke leaves. Using scissors, cut off pointed tips of leaves. Arrange artichokes on rack. Bring water to boil over high heat. Cover pot; steam artichokes until knife pierces base easily, adding more water if necessary, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice and butter; whisk until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve artichokes warm with seasoned butter.