Stuffed Artichokes with Spicy Herbed Bread Crumbs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Halve the lemon, squeeze the juice into the boiling water, and carefully drop in the lemon halves. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top quarter of each artichoke, then trim the stem flush with the bottom. Using kitchen shears, cut the sharp tips off the leaves. Lower the artichokes into the boiling water and cook, turning occasionally, until the bottoms are almost tender when pierced with a knife and the leaves pull off easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the artichokes upside down on a rack set over a baking sheet.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chile, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the bread crumbs, and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the egg and beat with a fork until the mixture is moistened. Stir in the mint and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

When cool enough to handle, gently open the artichoke leaves away from the center. Fill the cavity of each artichoke and the spaces between some of the leaves with the crumb mixture. Arrange the artichokes in a baking dish just large enough to hold them comfortably, and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until the leaves pull off easily, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast until the top of the filling is lightly browned, another 10 minutes.

Transfer the artichokes to warmed individual plates and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Year-Round Roasting (Weldon Owen, 2014)