If you have never prepared an artichoke before, the task might seem a little daunting. After all they do appear to be covered in small layers of armor and if you’re not careful when you pick one up, it will bite you! This is because the artichoke is part of the thistle family of flowering plants which are characterized by their ‘prickles’. The not so scary, wonderful thing about artichokes, besides the fact that they taste delicious, is that they are a fountain of nutritional goodness!

One large artichoke contains only 25 calories, NO fat, 170 milligrams of potassium and they happen to be a great source of vitamin C, folate, Magnesium and dietary fiber. There are 6 grams of fiber in one large artichoke which makes that more fiber than one cup of prunes!  Some new studies have also shown that artichokes contain an unusual high amount of anti-oxidants in the form of phytonutrients. Great!!

Grilled Artichokes – Ingredients

steamer basket weighed down by slab of marble

2 Large Artichokes

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Pepper

Fresh Fine Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:

Remove stems from artichokes, I always use my bread knife when working with artichokes, it just makes my job easier. You will need a large pot where both artichokes will fit upside-down and will be completely submerged in water. Place the artichokes in the pot first and use a steamer basket or (improvise) other device that will be fine in the heat to keep the artichokes from moving once the water is added. After the victims are secured, add water until the artichokes are completely submerged. Place over high heat and bring to a boil then bring heat down to medium and cook for about 35 min. Check artichokes by inserting a knife into the heart (bottom of flower). If done, the knife should go in easy but there should still be a slight firmness. If  there is too much resistance or if they feel hard, they need more time. Try to avoid over cooking the artichoke, they will be hard to work with and will not be as tasty.

Once done, pull the artichokes out of the water and hold them upside-down to drain any excess water. Slice the artichokes in half  lengthwise. Using a spoon take the ‘choke’ out of the artichoke . I use a grapefruit spoon, they are serrated and have a pointed tip makeing this task nice and simple (refer to picture). Repeat with the other three halves and bring together your condiments. Lay your artichokes open side up and drizzle olive oil over the tops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set your cheese aside. These are ready for the grill.

The Grilling

Fire up your grill to a medium flame and set your artichokes open face down, depending on your grill, 10 – 15 minutes (some times I will leave them a little longer – personal taste). Turn them over and give them another 10 minutes. Pull them out onto your serving platter and immediately grate Parmesan cheese over tops.