Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Mayonnaise

Steamed Artichokes make a wonderful appetizer to any dinner party. Paired with this garlic and olive oil mayonnaise and you have something truly amazing!

My kids are always surprising me. From their quick wit to their food choices and everything in between. As parents we spend hours and hours trying to teach our kids these giant life lessons, keeping our fingers crossed that maybe 10% might sink in.

When it comes to food, we also have a rule in the house that the kiddos can’t reject a food unless they try it first. Some of the reactions to Brussels sprouts or teriyaki sauce can lead to a slew of melodramatic reactions. But then there are times where they surprise us and say, “Hmm… that tastes good!”

One of those surprise-I-like-it moments was with steamed artichokes.

Why you have to make this recipe

Two out of three of my kiddos really love artichokes. They truly love marinated artichokes, and for steamed artichokes, the key is the dipping sauce. From yogurt to butter-based sauces, my little monkeys lick the bowl clean.

We enjoy artichokes in all of its forms. From braised baby artichokes to grilled artichokes to stuffed artichokes, we love them all. But the easiest way to enjoy a whole artichoke is to steam it.

If you have never prepared artichokes, it might seem intimidating. But it is quite simple and pretty goof proof. You only need a large pot and steaming basket. There is some minor prepping to do, but other than that, steaming artichokes is very easy.

You could accompany your artichoke with a simple bowl of melted butter, but it is rather plain and bland. My family’s favorite dipping sauce is this garlic mayonnaise. Flavorful but not overfly fancy or difficult, it is quite delicious with artichoke.

Ingredients you need

• Large artichoke: Steaming works best with the large variety of artichokes. It can be done with the popular green globe variety or even the specialty varieties like these gorgeous purple Fiore Viola artichoke. You can steam just one or as many as your pot can hold.
• Lemon juice: Lemons offer flavor as well as keeps the cut artichoke from browning and oxidizing. Like apples, artichokes brown easily once cut.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Oil is used to sauté the garlic. You could use canola or vegetable oil, but it offers no additional flavor.
• Mayonnaise: You can use store bought (which I do all the time) or make it yourself.
• White wine: Only a small amount of wine is used in the dipping sauce, so it is kid friendly. You can omit it if you prefer.
• Garlic
• Salt

Step-by-step directions

1. Rinse artichokes and trim ½-inch off the top. Trim stem to a maximum of one inch long, snip tips off the leaves that thorns. Remove the thicker bottom leaves and slightly spread open the petals.

2. In a bowl large enough to hold the artichoke, add water and lemon juice. Place artichoke cut side down into the lemon mixture to keep it from browning until you are ready to cook. You can also rub the the cut edges of the artichoke with a lemon half.

3. Bring 2 to 3 inches of water to boil in a pot and place a steamer basket over the water. Place the artichokes into the steamer basket, cover and steam until leaves are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. While the artichokes are steaming, heat a small pan over medium heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot, stir in garlic cloves. Remove pan from heat and continue cooking the garlic until golden. Do not brown the garlic or it will turn bitter.

5. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise in until smooth then stir in wine, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Transfer garlic mayonnaise to a small dipping bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve with the steamed artichoke.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Artichokes come in all colors and sizes. The large artichokes are especially enjoyed steamed. You can also partially steam the artichokes and then grill them to add some smoke and char.

As you get closer to the heart of the artichoke, you will find the hairy choke. This is not edible and should be removed to get to the tender heart.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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