Eating your way through a globe artichoke is like a magical quest for hidden treasure…
Your task is to eat the flesh of the leaves until you reach the heart (the hidden treasure deep inside the artichoke). Your only tools are your teeth, a knife and a spoon. To assist your quest carry with you at all times a lubricating elixir of vinaigrette or melted butter and lemon. To extract the flesh gnash your teeth at each leaf until it surrenders its goodness. You are now ready to begin the quest…
- First, you must break through the tough and weathered outer ring of leaves. The flesh is stringy and hard but will whet your appetite for more.
- Proceed inward, foraging through more compliant and tasty middle-layer leaves. Stay here a while, there are rich pickings…
- Then venture onward, gnashing your teeth as you go, past the inner ring of delicate, purple-tinged leaves.
- Continue your passage until you reach a gossamer veil of petals covering the precious central core of the artichoke.
- To complete your quest you must lift the veil and remove the notorious and fearsome ‘choke’ – a spiky barrier protecting the tender heart below. Your challenge is to coerce the choke’s fibrous tendrils into releasing their tenacious hold on your prize. Using skillful manipulations of knife and spoon, you will soon discover where the weaknesses lie.
- Once the choke has been removed and conquered, your treasure will be revealed – the heart of the artichoke. The quest is complete.
- All that remains is to revel in the sensuous pleasure of devouring – piece by piece – the delicious heart…
See recipe for dressing and cooking method.