Best Ways To Eat Artichokes, According To An Expert

Artichokes can be a scary vegetable to cook. From its unusual appearance compared to other greens we eat to the many different preparation methods you can use to make them delicious, it's no wonder there are many mistakes you can make along the way. Thankfully, there are experts like Sarah Raven, author of "Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook," to help you find your footing.

Raven offers many helpful tips and tricks, not to mention recipes, for making artichokes the best they can be. They're wonderful on the grill, for example, whether whole, sliced, or just the delicious hearts. You could braise artichokes too for an immensely flavorful vegetarian main dish, or skip cooking them entirely to enjoy them raw, such as in whole artichoke salads. You can also give them a quick pickle before dressing them. Lastly, try Raven's favorite way to enjoy them; dipping artichoke leaves in a special Angelica sauce she learned as a child.

Sarah Raven offers two ways and times to enjoy artichokes on the grill. She says, "I only grill artichokes when they're very young and tender, or if it's later in the year, I'll grill just the hearts, as the artichokes usually are too big and tough to grill whole." Regardless of which you take advantage of, she offers some further cooking advice, saying to "slice them through, oil the griddle, and cook them on a hot surface for 4-5 minutes one side, and 2-3 on the other."

Besides grilling, Raven also offers some guidance on making a simple raw globe artichoke salad with "lemon, olive oil, parsley, and salt and pepper." She also suggests braising artichokes, though doesn't offer a particular recipe such as artichokes barigoule. Lastly, using a tempura batter — though tempura can be tricky – on artichoke hearts makes a great appetizer or snack.

The way Sarah Raven enjoys artichokes the most? She "love[s] them eaten whole best, and then the leaves dipped in Angelica sauce." She doesn't mention her preferred way to cook the artichoke whole, or if it's cooked at all, but steaming (maybe with lemon butter) or roasting them (with a balsamic dip if you like) would be your easiest bets.

The mystery Angelica sauce is a little harder. It was taught to her when she was only 8, by an Italian chef named, you guessed it, Angelica. Raven describes it as, "basically a salsa verde but with coarsely chopped hard-boiled egg added, as well as herbs, anchovies, olives, and capers, all in a base of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper." It sounds like it takes some inspiration from puttanesca pasta sauces, if you want somewhere to start from in attempting to recreate it.