The tender, savory leaves of an artichoke make a great side dish or appetizer, especially when served with your favorite dipping sauce. Steamed Artichokes in the Instant Pot take a fraction of the time compared to steaming them on the stovetop.
0 Prepare artichokes: Rinse and drain artichokes, being sure to rinse between the leaves. Slice off enough of the stem so that the artichokes can sit upright. Slice off the top of the artichokes to remove the thorns at the top of the leaves. (Note: Sometimes all thorns are removed before the artichokes are sold in stores, but if any remain after you sliced off the top, use kitchen shears to remove them) Remove and discard any of the small, tougher leaves near the base of the artichoke.
1 Add water to the bowl of an Instant Pot / pressure cooker.
2 Add the trivet that came with the machine.
3 Place the artichokes on top of the trivet, stem-side down.
4 Squeeze the juice from the lemons over top of the artichokes and then tuck the remaining lemon peels around the artichokes (the lemon peels will continue to flavor the artichokes as they cook).
5 Close and lock the lid.
6 Set the pressure valve to Sealing.
7 Cook on manual / high pressure, using the following timeframes as a guide (use the weight of the heaviest single artichoke as a guide): * 8 oz Artichoke - 10 minutes * 12 oz Artichoke - 14 minutes * 16 oz Artichoke - 18 minutes
8 At the end of the cook time, manually release the pressure.
9 Test one artichoke by peeling off an outer leaf. (The leaf should easily pull away. If it does, the artichokes are done. If not, leave the artichokes to the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Again, manually release pressure.)
10 Serve artichokes with dipping sauce of choice.
