A clever way to present every morsel of a cooked whole artichoke is to remove all the leaves before serving, and use their bits of tender flesh as a stuffing for the hollow artichoke bottom. It takes a bit of time to scrape the leaves of an artichoke clean, so reserve this as a special treat for 2, or at most 4.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 1 serving; can be increased as desired
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the artichoke under cold water to remove any grit. Cut off the top inch of the cone of leaves with a sharp chef's knife. Rub the cut surface with half a lemon to prevent discoloring. With kitchen scissors, snip off about 1/2 inch from the tips of the remaining broad leaves to remove the prickly needles, and rub with lemon. Finally, cut off the stem even with the base, trimming away any small leaves. Rub the flat base with the half lemon.
Step 2
Pour 2 inches of water into the pot and fit in the steamer basket. Arrange the prepared artichoke in the basket, top side down. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a slow boil and steam for 35 to 45 minutes. The artichoke is done when the base is easily pierced with a small sharp knife. Remove them from the steamer and rest top side up. Allow to cool.
Step 3
For each serving, gently pull off all the broad outer leaves of cooked, cooled artichoke, keeping bottom intact. Remove the inner core of small leaves and scrape the hairy choke from the bottom.
Step 4
With a small spoon, patiently scrape the edible flesh from the reserved leaves (including the inner core). You will have 2 to 3 tablespoons of flesh from each artichoke. Add tarragon, shallots, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Season with fresh cracked pepper and salt, and mix well with a fork. Pile into the artichoke bottom, and serve surrounded by a leaf of butter lettuce, garnished with a sprig of dill.
