Mediterranean peoples are quite fond of this noble vegetable first introduced as a horticultural development of the cardoon. The artichoke appears to have entered Italy via the Norman kitchen gardens of twelfth-century Sicily, although the first reference is not until the early fourteenth century. The flesh at the bottom of the inside of the bracts (they are not properly called leaves) is edible, as is the bottom, also called the foundation or heart, of the artichoke. When you pare an artichoke, the hairy choke is removed to reach the bottom.
Select artichokes that feel heavy and whose bracts are closed and just beginning to separate. If the bracts have begun spreading wider apart, the artichoke is still usable and fine. Look at the stem for small holes that might indicate worm damage and pass those by. Brown splotches are only frost damage that do not harm the artichoke. The type of artichoke you are most likely to find in the market is the globe artichoke, an Italian cultivar, in various sizes. A specialty greengrocer might carry the Tuscany violet artichokes that taper off at top into beautiful purple tips. Store artichokes dry in the refrigerator in a plastic bag no longer than five days.
Preparing a raw artichoke bottom is labor intensive, but, as with lobster, one is justly rewarded. It is much easier to do this if the artichoke is boiled first. If you boil the artichoke first, both the flesh at the base of the bracts and the heart are usable; unfortunately not all recipes are suited to previously cooked artichokes. Wash the artichoke and cut off the top half of the bracts with a large chef’s knife. Remove the little bracts at the stem. Cut the stem off at the point near the bottom so the artichoke can stand up. Many people throw away the stem, but the flesh inside is edible, so slice off the skin and reserve the stem flesh (much easier to do if the artichoke has been boiled whole first). As you peel, slice or break off the little pale green bracts near the choke, discard them, and, with a paring knife, cut off the woody parts surrounding the bottom, slicing in a circular motion as you hold the artichoke with one hand. Now, from the top, and in a circular motion, cut out the hairy choke. Once the raw artichoke is cut, it will blacken, so you must always keep a cut half of a lemon nearby to immediately rub the artichoke heart when you reach it. As you finish each artichoke, put the bottom in a bowl of water acidulated with lemon juice or vinegar to keep them from blackening and continue.