The leafy bud of a plant of the thistle family. When buying fresh artichokes, look for solid heads with tightly packed leaves. They should be used as soon as possible after buying. If not cooking the same day, store in a closed container in the refrigerator.
Basic preparation: Wash and drain artichokes and trim stems. Pull off any coarse outer leaves then cut one-third off the top of the artichokes or cut off the thorny tips of the remaining leaves with kitchen scissors. As each artichoke is prepared, drop at once into a bowl of cold water containing lemon juice or vinegar; use about 3 tablespoons to each litre of water. This will prevent discolouration. It is possible to remove the hairy choke before cooking, to form little cups which are boiled and then filled with a savoury sauce or stuffing.
Preserved artichokes: Hearts and fonds of artichokes are available tinned or bottled in brine or in oil. They are used in the preparation of antipasti and hors d’oeuvres. Artichoke hearts in brine are drained, dressed with vinaigrette dressing and chopped parsley and served chilled.
The Jerusalem artichoke: Despite the name, this vegetable is quite different from the globe artichoke. The globe is a bud; the Jerusalem artichoke is a tuber. About the size of a small potato, it is creamy-brown with a knobbly shape.