How To Cook Artichokes In A Pressure Cooker

Have you ever eaten these strange-looking, thorny, green vegetables? Many people avoid them because they do not know how to prepare, cook, or even serve them.

This is a pity because artichokes are packed full of nutrients with a higher antioxidant content than blueberries and broccoli. They also contain a lot of fiber and we all know that’s a good thing. Plus, they’re a delicious treat!

Artichokes are actually budding flower heads of a large purple flower. Once the flower has turned purple though it becomes inedible.

We’re going to show you how to easily prepare, cook and serve this delicious vegetable. Using your pressure cooker makes the process even quicker than usual.

What Do Artichokes Taste Like?

Some compare that mild taste to a mixture of boiled potatoes and asparagus. Artichokes have a gentle, nuttiness that some compare to broccoli.

They work especially well with lemon or garlic butter, so that’s what we’re going with today.

How to Keep Artichokes Fresh

Always slice off the end of the stalk, sprinkle it with some water, then seal the whole thing in a plastic bag. This will keep the flower head hydrated.
Never wash artichokes before storing them as they will go soggy.
Store them in the fridge. You can keep them for up to 7 days but no longer.

How Do We Recognise a Perfectly Cooked Artichoke?

The vegetable should be evenly cooked throughout
The petal flesh should be moist and tender with a slight crunch
The heart should not be soft and mushy but must be tender

Benefits of Cooking Artichokes in Your Instant Pot

Faster than cooking on the stove
The delicate flavor is preserved and enhanced
It’s easy!

What You’ll Need

3 artichokes – approximately 250g each
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

To Prepare the Artichokes and Garlic Butter

Submerge the artichokes in a basin of cold water for a few minutes to remove any bugs, grit, or pesticides
Lay them on a cutting board and remove any small petals at the base. Cut off the stem to make a flat base. Trim the thorny petal tips with a pair of kitchen scissors. Take about 2cm off all the petals for a good presentation.
Leave the center choke until after pressure cooking has been done. It is much easier to remove it when everything is soft.
Put a cupful of cold water into your Instant Pot.
Insert the steamer rack (trivet) and put the artichokes on top of it.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the artichokes to prevent oxidation.
Lock the lid, make sure the venting knob is in the Sealing position, and bring the cooker up to pressure.
Cook them on high pressure for 8 minutes using the Pressure Cook If the artichokes are large, increase the cooking time to 11 minutes.
After the timer goes off, use the Quick Release to reduce pressure. Be careful of the steam. Open the lid carefully.
Before removing the artichokes from the trivet, test one to see if they are cooked. You can do this by pulling one of the petals away from the main body.
If the petal pulls away easily, your artichoke is cooked. If not, pop it back into the pressure cooker and cook for a few more minutes on high pressure before removing the artichokes.
While the vegetables are cooking, you can prepare the garlic butter. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat on the hob. Melt the butter and add the garlic.
Be careful not to burn it. Season with salt and black pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like. Pour into a small bowl to use as a dipping sauce for the artichoke petals.

To Serve the Artichokes

These make a good starter and will be a talking point at your next dinner party. Serve them one per person on a small plate or bowl.

Pull the petals off one at a time, dip them individually into the garlic butter, holding the pointy end and dipping the white fleshy end. Eat the soft white part, discarding the part you held.

Peel, dip, eat and repeat. Do this until you get to the center choke. When you reach the soft heart, scrape out the fibrous center “choke”. Do not attempt to eat this.

Now you can enjoy the last bit – the soft center stem. Dip it as before and enjoy.

Alternatives to Garlic Butter

Artichokes are easy to serve. They go well with simple dips such as melted butter and lemon juice, mayonnaise, or garlic dip aioli. They are also delicious when stuffed.

If you wish to stuff them with breadcrumbs and cheese, you will find that it is easy to put the mixture between the petals once the artichokes are cooked.

You then place them in a hot oven for about 10 minutes until the stuffing is cooked.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to prepare artichokes yourself, you will no longer have to wait to go to a restaurant to eat them.

Cooking them conventionally takes around 45 minutes while using your pressure cooker takes less than 15.