For Quick-Cooking Artichokes, You Only Need One Appliance

Artichokes, for all their brilliance, aren't exactly the fastest food out there when it comes to cook times. They're versatile, sure. You can finish them off on the grill after steaming them, deep fry them, and even braise them (like in carciofi alla romana, for example). But they're time-consuming to prepare, with all the trimming, turning, and coring. They're also slow to actually cook: Steaming them can take up to an hour. Luckily, if you ever find yourself craving some fuss-free, quick-cooking artichokes, fret not. Simply break out your pressure cooker.

This ingenious (and often under appreciated) device is the key to giving you perfectly tender artichokes in less than a third of the time it would normally take to steam one. The high-pressure environment created once the lid locks down allows things to reach a much greater temperature than regular stovetop cooking. It combines the principles of steaming (and gets you similar results) with the high temperatures of an oven. All that means that you can expect your artichokes to pressure cook in about 10 to 15 minutes (depending, of course, on how big they are). Just make sure to add enough water to create that all important steam — or it won't work! The artichokes should end up tender but still with a little bite to them — a mushy artichoke is a bad artichoke.

Trimming up artichokes can be a satisfyingly quick and simple process. Make sure you wash them well. Then take a knife, and cut off the stem (if there is one). Don't throw it out, though! Artichoke stems are just as delicious as the rest of the flesh, so just give them a once over with a vegetable peeler and a rough chop before popping them in the pressure cooker along with everything else. If the artichokes are spiny, just cut the pointy tops off of the leaves using a paring knife (or a pair of kitchen shears). Make sure to brush anywhere you trim up with the open face of a lemon half — artichokes oxidize easily, but the lemon juice will stop this in its tracks.

When it comes to serving your artichokes, you could really let their natural flavors shine by giving them a drizzle of good quality Italian olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of finishing salt. Alternatively, you could serve them with a simple sauce — a bright, herbaceous salsa verde to complement their rich earthiness, perhaps. Artichokes pair well with roasted vegetables, like this recipe for oven-braised artichokes with potatoes and onions — the sweetness of onion will bring a new dimension to the dish while the potatoes give it body and balance. Finish things off with a piccata-inspired sauce, with the sour kick of capers and lemons contrasting with the artichoke's darker notes to give you a beautifully rounded finish.