Recipe editor shares zero-waste artichoke cooking tips

Oma Maitse recipe editor Paula Särekanno demonstrated how to use almost every part of an artichoke, from salads and snacks to stews, ERR reported. She said her relationship with the vegetable, which she described as having powerful medicinal properties, was “very passionate.”

Särekanno said purple artichokes have a slightly softer texture inside and are favoured by many chefs, while green artichokes are better suited to marinating. She also noted that artichokes can be used as interior decoration.

To clean an artichoke, about one third of the top should be cut off. The stem can be peeled, cut into pieces and used to make a purée soup. The leaves and outer skins can be boiled to make tea or cooked and served with a dip.

The small parts with spines should not be eaten, Särekanno said, but the other parts are edible. Outer leaves can be removed until they are no longer woody. After boiling, the edible flesh can be scraped from the leaves with the teeth and eaten with hummus or a dip.

Artichokes are in season around the world in spring, while in Estonia the season runs from August to October. The largest artichokes may contain a flowering part, which should be cut away. Medium-sized artichokes are suitable for stuffing with cheese and breadcrumbs before baking.

Särekanno recommended steaming artichokes until they are tender but still firm enough to bite. She used boiled artichoke in a salad with white beans, cherry tomatoes and parsley. Artichokes can also be served with Parmesan and breadcrumbs after a brief period in the oven.

For a dressing, she combined three tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of white wine vinegar, one tablespoon of honey and a little mustard. Her favourite autumn dish is a stew made with chicken thighs, a white wine and butter sauce, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives.

Artichokes should be stored in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer with a damp napkin placed over or around them. Stored this way, they can keep for three to four weeks. Leaving them at room temperature is the worst option, Särekanno said.