Artichokes, Roman Style
Serves 4.
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 large artichokes
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Tbs. olive oil
- Large pinch of salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
Fill a bowl three-fourths full of water and add the lemon juice. Working with 1 artichoke at a time and starting at the base, break off 3 or 4 rows of the tough outer leaves, snapping them downward, until you reach the pale yellow-green inner leaves, which are tender enough, when cooked, to eat in their entirety. Cut off about 1 inch from the top of the artichoke. Using a small, sharp knife, cut off the bottom of the stem and then peel the stem until it is a pale green. Trim away any tough green parts from the base. Drop the trimmed artichoke into the lemon water to prevent browning and put an inverted plate in the bowl to keep the artichoke submerged. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.In a small bowl, combine the parsley, mint, garlic, 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and large pinch of salt and stir to mix well.
One at a time, remove the artichokes from the lemon water and, using your fingertips, gently open them slightly (like a flower) to expose the choke. Using your fingers, pull out the prickly inner leaves and discard. Using a sharp-edged spoon, scoop out and discard the hairy chokes. Spoon one-fourth of the herb mixture into each artichoke cavity.
In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the artichokes, stem ends up, and then add the wine and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the artichoke bottoms are tender when pierced, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the artichokes to a platter, stem ends up. Taste the cooking liquid; add salt if needed, then reduce over medium-high heat to about 1/4 cup. Spoon over the artichokes. Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature.
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Rated 5 out of
5
by
Virginia1103 from
So delicious!
This turned out just as I remember the artichokes we had in Rome. I made a few changes- I cut off a lot of the upper leaves so it was mostly the base and stem- which gets most tender when braising. I also did something kind of over the top- mixed raw italian sausage, removed from the casing, into the herb stuffing. It cooked inside the artichoke while it braised. It was really good- and flavored the sauce nicely, but i know it would have been tasty without the meat. I followed the cooking time though and it worked out perfectly.
Date published: 2015-03-23
Rated 2 out of
5
by
martawillcox from
A bit disappointing
I grew up with artichokes (prepared by boiling in garlic-y water) and hollandaise sauce. I wanted to branch out with this recipe and try to blaze my own artichoke trail. Well...for me that trail will start elsewhere.
The actual cooking time took way longer than the recipe suggests and created an awkward delay in a dinner party. The flavours that I wanted to come out were too subtle and the artichokes ended up tasting a bit like stale wine with a hint of tea.
I look forward to trying the real thing in Rome some day, hopefully it's better.
Date published: 2012-11-09