How to peel an artichoke

This isn’t a recipe but a note on how I prepare these wondrous vegetables. I wanted to share how to prepare artichokes, as these beautiful vegetables seem to get people in a bit of a pickle regarding what to do with them.

Before you start - have a nifty little pairing-knife to help you do the work and a bowl of acidulated (lemon) water to fling the artichokes into once you’ve prepared them.

Off you go - remove the spiky leaves from the outside of the artichoke to reveal the pale yellow-green heart inside. It’s hard to say how many layers and leaves you’ll need to pull away. It will depend on the type of artichoke in your hand and how fresh it is. You just keep removing the outer artichoke leaves until the pale, less fibrous ones show themselves.

Trim the top, then the stem to about 4cm in length and then turning the artichoke in your hand, trim the base where the artichoke meets the stalk. Be sure to clean away any furry choke inside the remaining leaves. (Fingers or a teaspoon will do the job)

Slice the artichoke in half from top to bottom and fling into the lemony water. You can use the artichoke halves as they are or place flat to a chopping board, and slice very thinly through the stem.