We are in full artichoke season and among the many delicious artichoke recipes available, cooking them whole in a pan is certainly a particularly tasty option. And if you want a delicious side dish in just a few minutes, you can opt for artichokes in a pressure cooker. This recipe is inspired by the classic Roman-style artichokes, where the artichokes are cooked whole and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and mint. Using a pressure cooker, the artichokes remain soft and succulent in just 12 minutes. You can prepare this tasty dish with Roman artichokes, the rounder and larger ones, or with violet artichokes, which, being smaller, will require a couple of minutes less cooking. Artichokes in a pressure cooker make a quick, light, and flavorful side dish, ideal for accompanying meat or egg main courses.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients for 8 Artichokes in Pressure Cooker
- 8 artichokes
- 8 cloves garlic
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 bunch parsley
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/8 cup vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 lemon (to clean the artichokes)
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pressure Cooker
How to Cook Whole Artichokes in Pressure Cooker
To prepare artichokes in a pressure cooker, start by cleaning the artichokes. If you don’t know how to do it, you can follow this tutorial with video, which explains how to clean both Roman and violet artichokes.
As you clean them, put them in water slightly acidulated with lemon juice to prevent them from turning black. Peel the stems and cut them into pieces. Season the heads with a generous pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, and a mixture of parsley and mint, making sure the seasoning penetrates especially inside the artichokes (1).
Peel the garlic and insert a clove inside each artichoke (2). If you prefer a milder flavor, you can use just a couple of garlic cloves to put in the pressure cooker instead of inside the artichokes. Pour the oil on the bottom of the pressure cooker (3).
Place the artichokes with the cut stem part up. Also put the stem pieces on the bottom (4). Pour 3/8 cup of water or vegetable broth into the bottom of the pot (5).
Close the pressure cooker with the lid and place it on high heat. As soon as it starts whistling, lower the heat just enough to maintain a continuous whistle. From this moment, cook the artichokes in the pressure cooker for 12 minutes if you used Roman artichokes, 10 minutes for smaller artichokes.
After the cooking time is over, turn off the heat and open the valve to release the steam. Only when the safety valve has descended – indicating that the pot is no longer under pressure – open the lid (6).
Test the doneness of the artichokes by pricking them with a fork: they should be soft. If not, close the pot again and cook for a couple more minutes. Serve the artichokes in the pressure cooker hot or at room temperature, drizzled with their cooking liquid.
Storage
You can store the artichokes in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Tips and Variations
For an even richer and tastier side dish, you can add a cubed potato to the bottom of the pot. In that case, increase the water to 150 ml.
