For all their beauty and deliciousness, artichokes are intimidating. It can be tricky to pick the right ones at the produce aisle, and it takes some dexterity and technique to peel the leaves and remove the fuzzy center to reach the tasty and edible heart. To help demystify the thistle, we spoke to Eataly’s product expert Kristen Quito-Bausa.
A culinary graduate of California's Santa Barbara City College, Kristen worked for nine years as Chef de Cuisine at their flagship Flatiron location before becoming Head of Fresh Products for all Eataly North America. One of her responsibilities at Flatiron included overseeing Le Verdure, the vegetable-focused restaurant. Here, she answers all our questions about the wonderful world of carciofi.
(ph courtesy of Eataly.com)
In the US you can find artichokes all year round, but when is artichoke season?
Artichoke season is in Spring — specifically from April to June.
What do we have to look for to make sure that they are fresh?
To make sure an artichoke is fresh you should look at the leaves. They should form tight, compact layers and should feel firm and heavy in comparison to the size. The cut part of the stem will turn brown in a matter of hours from harvest but shouldn’t be flimsy.
(ph courtesy of Eataly.com)
Can you tell us about the different types of artichokes and which recipes they can be used for?
The two types of artichokes are globe/ purple globe artichokes and baby/purple artichokes. Globe/ purple globe artichokes are used in Carciofi alla Romana (braised artichokes in olive oil, garlic, and white wine) and Carciofi Grigliati (grilled artichokes). Baby/purple artichokes are best used in Carciofi Fritti (fried artichokes) or Carciofi alla Giudia, but they can also be shaved raw into a salad.
When can you replace frozen artichokes in a recipe?
I would not recommend this. But if anything, maybe for purées and/or fillings. Fresh is always the way to go if you can.
(ph courtesy of Eataly.com)
They are hard to clean up, could you give us some tips?
There are several ways to clean an artichoke depending on how you would like to use it. I would suggest using a pair of scissors to cut off the tips, as they are quite pointy. I like to use a serrated knife when working on when cutting the tops of the artichoke. Once cleaned, place in an acidulated/ lemon water to keep from turning. It is much easier to remove the choke on the larger sized artichokes after it is steamed and cooked.
What are your favorite artichoke recipes?
The dishes mentioned above. I like simple preparations to really taste the flavor of the artichokes. If you need one, I would say Carciofi alla Romana is my absolute favorite.