Smoked artichokes with lemon recipe
Artichokes are actually the flowering buds of a plant in the thistle family. The silymarin, which is a milk thistle in this flower bud, detoxifies the liver and helps cure liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Servings 4 people
Calories 251kcal
Cost $8
Ingredients
- 4 whole artichokes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 lemon juiced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Water
- Mesquite wood chips
Instructions
Step 1: First steam the artichokes
- Prepare an electric food steamer and pour 17 ounces (500ml) of water in, then bring it to a boil.
- While waiting for the steamer to boil, clean and trim your artichokes by removing some of the tough outer leaves near the base of the bud at the stem. Slice 1/4 of the top of the artichoke with a large serrated knife and discard it. Remove the stem too so the chokes can sit flat on the steamer. Clip off the pointy edges of the leaves that are on the outermost layer with cooking shears.
- Now cut the artichokes in half at the center lengthwise to expose the hairy choke on the stem. Remove the hairy choke with a spoon by scraping it off.
- Place the artichokes in the steamer with the stem facing downward, cover with a lid, and let them sit for 20 – 25 minutes until they become soft and tender.
- Take the artichokes out of the food steamer and transfer to a clean plate and let cool.
Step 2: Smoke the artichokes
- Fire up the smoker and set the temperature to 200° Fahrenheit (93° Celsius).
- Put the artichokes in aluminum foil packets and place them on the grill in the smoker to be smoked.
- Pour the rest of the ingredients (EVOO, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper) into the foil packets together with the artichokes and mix well.
- Now smoke the artichokes for about an hour and serve with melted butter as a dipping sauce or just eat as is.
Notes
Artichokes are also high in dietary fiber, which helps your digestion process, and regulates low-density lipoproteins (LDL or good cholesterol) that are beneficial to your body.
It's unwise to smoke artichokes right away without steaming them first, as the leaves tend to dry. It'd be like chewing leather!
The cooking instructions above will show you how to steam them first and then smoke them to make them edible and delicious.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
