Steamed globe artichokes

Globe vs. Jerusalem artichokes

For whatever reason, these two completely different vegetables share a name, with only a qualifier differentiating them. But they couldn’t be further apart in texture and preparation.

One is a thistle, the other a root. One is prickly and doesn’t look edible, the other makes you fart. The first grows tall and has edible flowers, the other is related to sunflower.

The name they have in common is probably due to the fact that the flavour of the globe artichoke heart is a little like the taste of the Jerusalem tuber. And even though chefs used it to cook ‘Palestine soup’, it owes its name to a misheard or mistranslated ‘girasole’ artichoke in Italian: sunflower artichoke.

Will I choke if I eat it?

No, but you need to discard the choke, which is the hairy layer covering the tender centre, the heart.

The choke covers the heart, which on the other hand is the most delicious part of the whole flower.

The petals surrounding the heart and choke are called bracts, and the further outside they grow, the tougher and the more fibrous they become.

How to eat globe artichokes?

They do look not a little daunting.

I was born and brought up in Cold War Poland where broccoli was exotic; The Weather Man in the deepest Yorkshire where they had never seen aubergines.

So we are quite the philistines in Mediterranean conviviality of simple food. We tend to guard our selfish individual portions on the plate with a knife and fork. Sharing is suspicious and wearisome – there’s never an even number of bits and each sharing plate ends with the tedious: ‘this is yours’, ‘no, the last bit is yours’, ‘you have it’, ‘are you sure?’ litany.

But the Med nations know a thing or two about how to eat. What you do with the artichokes couldn’t be simpler: steam or boil them and dish them out with some spicy dips.

It’s quite messy – you pull out the bracts and dip them in spicy mayo, then scrape the flesh off the leaves with your teeth. And at the end the main prize: divvying up the heart of the artichoke.

It is not pretty, not much food to be had and absolutely no fine dining involved. But it’s tremendous fun, also in the fact that you’re eating thistles like Eeyore.

How to trim the artichokes?

Not too off the stem much because, you’d never guess: the top of the stem is the fleshiest part. Cut them only so they fit into the pan.

Dry bracts around the head should be pulled out, and because the tips of the leaves are dry and not very edible, trim the top of the head by about 2cm.

How to cook globe artichokes?

I believe steaming is the best because it doesn’t leave the artichokes soggy. If you have a steam insert or a steaming basket use that. Otherwise place a small upturned bowl at the bottom of a large pan and a plate on top. Make sure the water level is lower than that and steam it covered with a lid or a tray.

It takes about half an hour to cook medium artichokes and you can test for doneness by pulling out a bract. If it comes out easily, it is ready.

What to serve with globe artichokes?

Dips and napkins, that’s all. My favourite is mayonnaise with a spoonful of hot sauce, sriracha or similar (gochujang, sweet chilli, harissa) stirred in.

You can spice up Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche in the same way, if you prefer, instead of mayo.

More healthy sharing snack recipes

Corn ribs from the oven, with homemade dukkah, just like the ones served at Ottolenghi’s Rovi. It’s totally a snack du moment – and de toujours, I hope.

Padron peppers, pimientos de padron, a Spanish dish of pan-blistered padron style green peppers. A delicious snack from the tapas menu, they can be eaten whole.

Roasted Romano peppers charred under the grill to skin and core them easily, marinated in an Ottolenghi-inspired dressing. They will disappear in a flash from your meze party.

More dipping condiment recipes

Kewpie-style mayonnaise, the umami bomb of a condiment, which you can make at home in exactly one minute. A stick blender and a tall jar make true magic happen.

Muhammara, roasted red pepper and walnut dip, flavoured with pomegranate molasses and Aleppo pepper flakes. This should be a firm fixture in your next meze!

Whipped feta and hazelnut dip is heavenly spooned on cherry tomato halves. Snacking does not get much healthier than this!