Steamed Artichokes with Spicy Peach Mango Sauce
Entertaining this spring? Wow your guests with steamed artichokes and spicy peach mango sauce. It’s not just a tasty pairing, it’s a party pleaser too!
As the colder parts of spring begin to fade away and the days get brighter and longer, I begin dreaming up ways to entertain my friends and family. In my world, that typically means food, food, and more food.
With so many seasonally fresh spring foods coming to market right now, it’s easy to keep my focus where the flavors are at their best.
Take the artichoke for example. It may look like a prickly, unwelcome, flower, but when properly prepped and steamed the tender flesh is a treat all of it’s own. Take it up a notch and pair it with my spicy peach mango sauce for an appetizer that is party perfect.
I remember the first time I tasted steamed artichokes a few years back at a friend’s engagement party. I had no idea what it was and didn’t know the first thing about eating them. The only artichokes I knew were in cheesy concoctions laced with spinach and served with tortilla chips. I knew I like those, but didn’t know the first thing about this green mystery in front of me.
So, I did what any budding foodie would do. I stood guard at the table until someone else took the first bite, then I pounced on them with 101 questions! Actually, I think it was more like 2 questions: “what is it?” followed by “how do you eat it?” That was followed by several moments of silence while I stood there and devoured leaf after leaf of artichoke dipped in a buttery sauce. I was in artichoke heaven.
Fast forward to now and I’ve gotten much more adventurous in my artichoke eating. I have enjoyed them stuffed, roasted, grilled, and braised. I’ve paired them with classics like garlic lemon butter and hollandaise. I have also learned that when a recipe calls for the hearts, I go to the freezer section instead of the farmer’s market.
For today’s recipe we are using one of the easiest artichoke preparation methods: steaming. When picking out artichokes look for ones with tight leaves and a firm stalk. The stalk should be about two inches in length, so that you have room to trim it without sacrificing any of the heart.
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You will need a sturdy cutting board, a sharp knife, a y-peeler or paring knife, a pair of kitchen shears, and a steamer basket. My steamer basket came with my Cusinart cookware, but a simple stainless steel collapsible steamer basket also works well.
Rinse the artichokes to remove any loose dirt. Cut off the top third of the leaves and trim the stalk back so that it’s about one inch long. Using your y-peeler or paring knife, peel the stalk to remove the top layer. Don’t skip this step, as it makes a softer heart (aka the best part of the artichoke). Lastly trim the points off the leaves using your kitchen shears.
Grab the pot for the steamer basket and fill with about an inch of water, making sure the water won’t come up into the steamer basket. Cover the pot with a lid, place over high heat, and wait for it to boil.
Once boiling, place the steamer basket into the pot. Replace the lid, lower the heat to medium, and set the timer for 30 minutes. Don’t ignore your artichoke while steaming!! Check it on occasion to make sure that the bottom pot has not boiled dry, adding more water if necessary.
While the artichoke is steaming, make the spicy peach mango sauce. This sauce is one of those ridiculously easy, 3 ingredient sauces that tastes great on so many things. It was inspired by Bonne Maman’s peach mango preserves. The preserves do contain some chunks of fruit, but for this application I try to avoid the larger pieces.
To make the sauce, place the mayo, peach and mango preserves, and hot sauce of your choice (I used sriracha) in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. It’s as easy as that! The sauce itself will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks – if you don’t eat it before then.
By now, you should have some time to waste while your artichoke is steaming away. Once the timer goes off, check your artichoke for doneness by sticking a knife through the leaves towards the heart. It it pierces through and slide out easily, it’s done. Remove the artichoke and steam basket. Set it aside and allow it drain out any excess water for at least 5 minutes.
Once drained, flip it over and place it on a serving plate with the sauce on the side. The artichoke and spicy peach mango sauce can be enjoyed hot, warm, or cold, it’s up to you! If you’ve never had steamed artichoke before, gently pull off one of the leaves dip it in the sauce, then use your teeth to scrape off the tender flesh from the bottom inside of the leaf. You’ll be in artichoke heaven in no time.
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Steamed Artichokes with Spicy Peach Mango Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large artichoke
- 1/4 cup mayonaise
- 2 tbsp peach and mango preserves
- 2 tsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the artichoke to remove any loose dirt.
- Cut off the top third of the leaves and trim the stalk back so that it’s about one inch long.
- Using your y-peeler or paring knife, peel the stalk to remove the top layer. Don’t skip this step, as it makes a softer heart (aka the best part of the artichoke).
- Trim the points off the leaves using your kitchen shears.
- Fill the pot for the steamer basket with about an inch of water, making sure the water won’t come up into the steamer basket. Cover with a lid, place over high heat, and wait for it to boil.
- Once boiling, place the steamer basket into the pot. Replace the lid, lower the heat to medium, and set the timer for 30 minutes. Check it on occasion to make sure that the bottom pot has not boiled dry, adding more water if necessary.
- Once the timer goes off, check your artichoke for doneness by sticking a knife through the leaves towards the heart. It it pierces through and slide out easily, it’s done. Remove the artichoke and steam basket. Set aside and allow to drain out any excess water for at least 5 minutes.
- To make the sauce measure the mayo, peach and mango preserves, and hot sauce of your choice (I used sriracha) in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
- The artichoke and spicy peach mango sauce can be enjoyed hot, warm, or cold, it’s up to you!
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
I love artichokes! The peach mango sauce looks amazing– how perfect. I usually just salt them!
I like them with just salt too!