Most of the time, you can’t go wrong with a simple artichoke that’s steamed and served with a buttery dipping sauce. But for people like my husband, who only likes artichoke with a nice, tangy aioli (he pretty much only eats artichoke for the aioli, using the leaf merely as a vessel to transport the dip), this is a good way to add pizzazz to a plain ol’ artichoke when you’re bored with aioli.
It starts with a fresh artichoke… perhaps harvested from your garden, and if you do, leave a few inches of stem on the bud as the stem is one of my favorite parts to eat!
Then you add pesto. Fresh, garlicky pesto… maybe a nasturtium pesto if your weeds crop is flourishing right now, which will give your artichoke a slightly spicy kick, or just a traditional basil pesto for a sweeter flavor. You can make pesto out of darn near everything (have you tried arugula? Cilantro-mint?) and the recipe is always the same. Just substitute the leaves for the greens of your choice, and play around with different nuts or cheeses (pine nuts and Parmesan are the old school favorites, but cashews, almonds, Asiago, and pecorino are all delicious). You add butter at this stage too, and we all know that butter makes everything better.
Top all of that with Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, stuff them in between the artichoke leaves, and you’ve got an artichoke that even non-artichoke eaters will eat. Rejoice!
Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb
Ingredients
Fresh artichoke
Bay leaf
Lemon slices
Butter
Pesto
Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
Making Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb
Wash your artichokes thoroughly. (If your buds have started to open, watch for earwigs and other pests that like to crawl into the crevices… even though it is extra protein, hehe.)
Chop the top off your artichoke. An inch or two works.
Use kitchen shears to snip the tips off the remaining leaves. This step isn’t totally necessary but is quite helpful to keep you (or your hungry guests) from stabbing yourselves on the thorns.
Pull and discard any tough outer leaves from the bottom of the bud, and you’ve got yourself a mighty fine artichoke ready to cook!
I steam my artichokes in a deep lobster pot fitted with a steamer basket, but you can also use a colander as your “basket” and simply place a lid over it. Fill the pot with an inch or two of water, just enough so the water line is still below the basket.
I like to add a bay leaf and a couple of lemon slices to the water for more fragrant steam. It’s optional but smells delicious and tastes wonderful.
Steam the artichokes for about 25 minutes, or until a leaf pulls out easily and you can pierce the stem with a fork. (Jumbo artichokes may need up to 45 minutes to full steam.)
While you wait, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. I never measure this part, but eyeball about half the amount of butter as there is pesto. So if you melt 3 tablespoons of butter, you can add 6 tablespoons of pesto… just enough to make a thin, drizzly consistency.
When your artichokes are done, remove them from the pot and let them cool slightly. Cut off the stems, but save them to serve alongside the artichoke buds. (I’ve always found my stems to be very tender like the heart, but if yours is a bit fibrous — because of a more mature stem — simply peel the skin before you eat, the way you might peel a broccoli stem.)
Use your fingers to pry the leaves apart and make room for the stuffing.
Pour the pesto-butter sauce over your artichokes and into the crevices. Pour liberally, I say!
Shake a handful of bread crumbs over all that deliciousness. Add some more of that pesto-butter stuff if you want. Let it all sink into the leaves and serve it up!
Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb
this is a good way to add pizzazz to a plain ol’ artichoke when you’re bored with aioli.
Ingredients
- Fresh artichoke
- Bay leaf
- Lemon slices
- Butter
- Pesto
- Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
Instructions
Wash your artichokes thoroughly.
Chop the top off your artichoke. An inch or two works.
Use kitchen shears to snip the tips off the remaining leaves.
Pull and discard any tough outer leaves from the bottom of the bud, and you’ve got yourself a mighty fine artichoke ready to cook!
Fill the pot with an inch or two of water, just enough so the water line is still below the basket.
Steam the artichokes for about 25 minutes, or until a leaf pulls out easily and you can pierce the stem with a fork. (Jumbo artichokes may need up to 45 minutes to fully steam.)
While you wait, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. I never measure this part, but eyeball about half the amount of butter as there is pesto. So if you melt 3 tablespoons of butter, you can add 6 tablespoons of pesto… just enough to make a thin, drizzly consistency.
When your artichokes are done, remove them from the pot and let them cool slightly.
Cut off the stems, but save them to serve alongside the artichoke buds.
Use your fingers to pry the leaves apart and make room for the stuffing.
Pour the pesto-butter sauce over your artichokes and into the crevices. Pour liberally, I say!
Shake a handful of bread crumbs over all that deliciousness. Add some more of that pesto-butter stuff if you want. Let it all sink into the leaves and serve it up!
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23 Comments
DanialThom
November 17, 2016 at 12:17 pmI’m confused by this. you didn’t remove the choke, and the leaves aren’t edible. So how would the laymen actually eat this?
Linda Ly of Garden Betty
November 17, 2016 at 10:40 pmPull out each leaf and scrape the soft, meaty parts off the bottom of the leaf with your teeth. Once all the leaves are finished, you’ll be left with the heart. I’m not sure if I’m explaining it clearly; a Google search for “how to eat an artichoke” may bring up better instructions.
DanialThom
November 18, 2016 at 7:54 amI know about that, but if you served this to someone who didn’t know how to eat an artichoke they’d likely choke to death. I guess my point is that you’re putting tasty pesto all over the inedible parts of the artichoke.
Linda Ly of Garden Betty
November 19, 2016 at 12:34 amIf you’re serving this to someone who isn’t familiar with how to eat it, hopefully you’d help him out. 🙂
Jenn Sankary
October 9, 2013 at 1:38 amJenn Sankary liked this on Facebook.
theGardenBetty
May 27, 2013 at 10:01 pmMore ways to cook all those ‘chokes from the garden: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/lVHJpehWgA < TY for RT! @tweetsfromdebra
theGardenBetty
May 27, 2013 at 4:02 amRT @ArtichokeRecipe: Love the idea of pesto crumb RT @thegardenbetty: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/inCzKYUFmg
theGardenBetty
May 26, 2013 at 11:02 amBlogged on Garden Betty: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/inCzKYUFmg < TY for RT! @sowandso
theGardenBetty
May 25, 2013 at 9:01 pmAn easy #recipe that looks like you spent more time on it than you did: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/x1pMDEoxgs #foodie
theGardenBetty
May 25, 2013 at 3:02 pmRich and buttery artichokes that even a non-artichoke eater will eat: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/q7wDZ21Vqm #recipe
bonnieplants
May 25, 2013 at 9:23 amRT @theGardenBetty: A delectable seasonal dish from the garden: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/GO96Dsx8QX #gardenchat #food…
theGardenBetty
May 25, 2013 at 9:02 amA delectable seasonal dish from the garden: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/GO96Dsx8QX #gardenchat #foodie #recipe
tweetsfromdebra
May 24, 2013 at 6:03 pmRT @theGardenBetty: Lookin for more ways to cook all those ‘chokes frm the garden? Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/lVHJpehWg…
theGardenBetty
May 24, 2013 at 6:01 pmLookin for more ways to cook all those ‘chokes frm the garden? Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/lVHJpehWgA #gardenchat #recipe
theGardenBetty
May 24, 2013 at 12:02 pmStuffing. Butter. No better way to eat an artichoke: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/l0h4HjuXXE #foodie #recipe
ProduceJenn
May 24, 2013 at 11:13 amRT @ArtichokeRecipe: Love the idea of pesto crumb RT @thegardenbetty: Blogged on Garden Betty: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.…
ArtichokeRecipe
May 24, 2013 at 11:10 amLove the idea of pesto crumb RT @thegardenbetty: Blogged on Garden Betty: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/MiWEbVWbiC
Will Taylor
May 24, 2013 at 11:08 amWill Taylor liked this on Facebook.
Brian Morris
May 24, 2013 at 6:58 amNext time !
Diana Heffernan-Schrader
May 24, 2013 at 6:53 amDiana Heffernan-Schrader liked this on Facebook.
sowandso
May 24, 2013 at 6:14 amRT @theGardenBetty: Blogged on Garden Betty: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/inCzKYUFmg
BG_garden
May 24, 2013 at 6:01 amSteamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb:
Most of the time, you can’t go wrong with a simple artichoke that’s steam… http://t.co/sCfMc3O9pV
theGardenBetty
May 24, 2013 at 6:00 amBlogged on Garden Betty: Steamed Artichoke With Pesto Crumb http://t.co/inCzKYUFmg