Kalyn's Kitchen®: How to Cook Artichokes in a Pressure Cooker

Kalyn's Kitchen®: How to Cook Artichokes in a Pressure Cooker:

How to Cook Artichokes in the Pressure Cooker

(Inspired by artichoke cooking advice from CookieCrumb and timing recommendations from Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure.)

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized artichokes
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. dried lemon zest or 1-2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 tsp. dried shallots or 2 tsp. minced fresh shallots
(You can use any flavorings of your choice such as onions, garlic, chiles, or herbs.)

Instructions:
I used a 3.7 quart pressure cooker. If you want to cook more than two artichokes at a time, use a larger size.

Put the metal rack in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add 2 cups water and put on the stove and bring to a boil.

While water is coming to a boil, cut off discolored end of artichoke stem and remove any stray leaves growing below the base of the artichoke, then use a vegetable peeler to peel the thicker skin on the stem. Cut artichoke in half lengthwise through the stem. Use a small, sharp knife to make a deep cut below the choke on each artichoke half, then pull away the very inside leaves, pulling the choke with it. (This may take a few cuts your first try.) Rinse the inside of the artichoke if any fuzzy choke fibers remain.

Add lemon zest and shallots to boiling water in the pressure cooker, then put in artichokes, inside facing down. Lock lid and bring to high pressure, then lower heat enough to maintain high pressure and pressure cook for 6 minutes. (Start timing as soon as high pressure is reached.) After six minutes, use quick release method to release pressure, then open lid carefully. Test for doneness by pulling out one leaf; it should remove easily and be tender on the end and the stem should pierce easily with a fork. My artichokes were perfectly cooked in six minutes, but if you need to cook a little longer, just put lid on but don't lock and cook a few minutes more.

Serve artichokes hot, warm, or cold. The artichokes in the photo were served warm with Mom's Artichoke Dipping Sauce.