How to Prepare and Cook Artichokes "in a Blanc"

Step 1

Make a Blanc: In a saucepan, place the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and water and whisk in the flour. The combination of those ingredients is called a Blanc and prevents the artichokes from browning through the natural oxidation process.

Step 2

Clean the artichokes: Artichokes should be cleaned and trimmed before cooking. Artichokes turn brown when cut, but rubbing them with a fresh cut lemon or putting them in lemon water stops this process. So always have one of these on hand when working with artichokes.

Step 3

Do not cut the stems but break them just above the small leaves. If the stem is not too woody, it can be peeled and cooked as well.

Step 4

Snap off the tough, dark outer leaves of an artichoke, or cut them off with a paring knife by turning the paring knife around the bottom of the vegetable. Stop at the point where the leaves begin to turn yellow, a sign that they are tender.

Step 5

Cut the top of the artichoke flat with a serrated knife, about 1 to 2 inches from the point. Don't forget to rub them with lemon and put in the Blanc.

Step 6

To clean artichokes down to the bottom or "heart": rotate the artichoke as you trim off all the leaves. You should work with a sharp paring knife, held perpendicular to the yellow fleshly base. Trim off the tops of the inner leaves and any green from the base. Again, remove the inner choke.

Step 7

Cook into the Blanc: Cover artichokes with parchment paper, leaving a hole into the center for the steam to escape. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook the artichokes for about 12 minutes or until the center is tender. Allow to cool before removing the choke; you may use a spoon to remove it. Use them according to your recipe.