Artichokes with ham

How to prepare simple artichokes with ham . This vegetable is one of my favorites, both for its flavor and for its nutritional properties.

At home we love artichokes and whenever they are in season we take the opportunity to prepare a lot of recipes with them. It is one of those vegetables that did not fit me very well as a child but which I now appreciate without a doubt, with a very satiating flavor and that can be prepared in a thousand and one ways. Surely there are a million recipes for vegetables that combine artichoke with other ingredients, but I like it that way, simple, with a little garlic and ham and that’s it.

Artichoke cultivation occurs mainly in the Mediterranean area, with Spain being one of the largest producers. It has been consumed since the Middle Ages, a time when it was already a highly prized food as it was considered very beneficial for the body.

The most cultivated variety in Spain is the Tudela white artichoke and it is usually harvested during two seasons, one that usually begins in October and the other in spring, from March to June. It does not withstand high temperatures, therefore it is never cultivated in summer.

It is a very simple dish, but no less tasty. Artichokes with ham , in my opinion are two products that combine very well, leading to very tasty recipes. Previously, you have already seen on the blog my other version of artichokes with ham but with egg , another very easy recipe that we prepare in a similar way although with different flavors.

Today I bring what is possibly the simplest combination of these two products: artichokes sauteed with ham. An easy to prepare and delicious alternative!

Preparation of artichokes with ham

1. The first thing we do is thoroughly clean the artichokes. We remove the outer leaves until we reach the layer where they have a lighter green color and are more tender. Next we peel the trunk, which in this case we keep and cut the tip.
2. We divide them into two halves and with the help of a teaspoon we remove the central part, where the fuzz that can give a bitter taste is found.
3. As we clean them, place them in a bowl containing water and the juice of the ½ lemon to prevent them from taking on a brownish color. If you don’t like the acidic flavor that lemon gives you, you can do the same process with fresh parsley and very cold water. Either trick helps prevent oxidation, the process that occurs when the phenols in the artichoke come into contact with oxygen.

1. We put water in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt, a quarter of a lemon and heat until it boils. At that time we add the artichokes and leave for 30 minutes, depending on how tender they are. They should not be very soft.
2. At the end of this time we remove them from the water and drain them on kitchen paper to remove the cooking water.
3. Chop the potato into small cubes and cook it in a different saucepan from the artichokes. We leave them until they are tender when puncturing but they do not fall apart.
4. Cut the garlic into thin slices and brown them in a frying pan or low saucepan. Next we add the cooked artichokes, the cooked potato and the ham tacos. We add a pinch of salt, but be careful that the ham is already quite salty.
5. We let it cook everything over low heat for a few minutes. If you want to add a splash of white wine, now is the time. In that case, let the wine reduce about 7 – 8 minutes. We remove from the fire and serve immediately.

A very easy dish to prepare, this recipe has a combination of very classic and traditional flavors, an ideal first dish to enjoy. With preparations of this type, lack of time is not an excuse. Take advantage!

You will find a lot of ideas on the blog to cook this vegetable, from baked artichokes, to simple artichokes with ham  and egg or as an essential ingredient in this rice with artichokes . A perfect recipe to enjoy with friends or family on a holiday or for the weekly menu.

Cheer up with the different recipes with artichokes that we have on the blog, I assure you that you will find a lot of ideas to cook day by day at home. You can see all the photos of the step by step recipe for artichokes with ham   in this album.

Tips and advice for these artichokes with ham

• Think that if you buy fresh artichokes you must cook them well before sautéing them, because one of the characteristics of this vegetable is its hardness.
• If you are going to prepare it for children I recommend that you use the artichoke hearts that come in preserves. You will see how its texture is totally tender and children will find it much easier to eat it.
• Once cooked, it is good to consume them during the day. If for some reason you are not going to eat them immediately it is better to freeze them, they will last two months perfectly.
• When I went to buy the fresh artichokes at the greengrocer, the shop assistant told me that she could keep them as if they were flowers. Without cutting the stem, put them with water, putting the stem (like bouquets) and leave them in the fridge. This will keep them crisp and tough.
• Its collection usually begins in autumn, being a vegetable more typical of winter, and the artichoke withstands little resistance to high temperatures, making its leaves lose consistency and its appearance unappetizing and its taste much more bitter. So when you want to pick artichokes, look at its hardness and the crunch of its leaves, so you know that its flavor and texture will be first class.
• Wear gloves while cleaning and preparing the artichokes to avoid staining your skin. Artichokes quickly rust and blacken when in contact with air.