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Boil artichokes in water to
cover by several inches with a tablespoon of olive oil until the bottom of
the artichoke is easily penetrated with a paring knife. (Bring the water
to a boil before adding the artichokes). Artichokes will darken if cooked
in aluminum or exposed to air during cooking, so use a non-aluminum pot
and put a plate or kitchen towel on top of the artichokes to keep them
submerged.
Also to keep them from darkening, raw
artichokes are rubbed with lemon; the oil in the water helps protect them
from exposure to oxygen, too. Serve cooked whole artichokes with homemade
mayonnaise or vinaigrette. Artichokes are sometimes trimmed of their
leaves and choke ( a technique called "turning") and the cooked bottoms
served whole - as a container for small vegetables such as peas - or cut
into wedges and served on their own as a vegetable. Baby artichokes have a
slightly milder flavor than bigger artichokes and they're easier to
prepare, because the immature chokes are so small that you don't need to
remove them.
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