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![]() ![]() ![]() STUFFED ARTICHOKES Carciofi Inbottiti Artichokes are very Italian and very delicious. Spring artichoke season coincides with the first fresh mint of the season, and the arrival of the two are cause for excitement, particularly in and around Rome. Artichokes turn brown quickly when you are cleaning them, so be sure to have some water acidulated with lemon juice handy so you can soak them once they are trimmed. Fill a large bowl about halfway with cold water. Squeeze the lemon halves called for in the recipe into the water, reserving two of halves to rub the artichokes as you work. Cut the stem flush with the bottom so the artichoke will stand steady on the plate. Peel the stems with a vegetable peeler, rub with a reserved lemon half and drop into the water. Bend back and snap off the leaves around the base of the artichoke. Cut off the top third of the artichoke with a sturdy serrated knife. If you like, you may trim off the pointy tips of the remaining outermost large leaves before cooking. Rub all cut surfaces with a lemon half as you work to prevent them from darkening. Hold artichokes with both hands; using your thumb, pry open the outer leaves to reveal the purple-tipped leaves that cover the choke. With a tablespoon, scoop out and discard the purple-tipped leaves and the hairy choke underneath them to reveal the smooth heart beneath. Place the cleaned artichokes in the cold water as you go, submerging them to prevent them from turning dark. Serves 6 Ingredients: 6 tablespoons garlic infused oil or extra virgin olive oil 3 lemons 6 large artichokes 1 cup coarse breadcrumbs 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine 4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 2 anchovy fillets, chopped fine 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, chopped finely Salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Directions: The flavorings in this dish are zesty- a combination of the traditional and a few touches of my own. The anchovies add a lot of flavor, but if you don't like them, don't use them. Lemon zest lightens the flavor of this hearty dish a little. (You might find that adding just a little bit of zest to other robust dishes will do the same for them.) It may seem strange to chop the crushed red pepper- especially at they fly around the chopping board a bit while you're trying to do so, but it prevents you from biting down on a big flake of pepper in the stuffing. If you have vegetable stock or chicken stock, you may use it in place of the water called for above. It will surely add flavor. Put the olive oil and garlic in small bowl and let steep 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you plan to hold the infused garlic oil longer than a few hours, strain out the garlic and reserve the flavored oil. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grate 1 teaspoon of zest from one of the lemons and set the zest aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and pour about half the juice into a large bowl of cool water. Reserve the remaining lemon juice and two of the lemon halves. Prepare the artichokes for stuffing plunging them into the acidulated water as you go. Mix in a bowl the breadcrumbs, eggs, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the mint, anchovies, Parmigiano-Reggiano, half the red pepper, the reserved lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Mix well. Remove the artichokes from the water and drain them a few minutes on a kitchen towel, rapping them once or twice to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Gently spread leaves open from the center to make sure as much stuffing as possible ends up between the leaves. Dividing the stuffing evenly among the artichokes and using the palm of one hand, work the stuffing between the artichoke leaves and into the center, where the choke was. You may not need all the stuffing to fill the artichokes. If you have any left over, you may use them as described below to make a thicker sauce. Or, if you prefer a thicker sauce, be sure to reserve about 3 tablespoons of the stuffing for that purpose. Nestle the artichokes into an oval 12-inch ceramic baking dish, or other dish into which they fit comfortably. Tuck the reserved stems in between the artichokes. Pour enough fresh water into the dish to cover the bottom third of the artichokes. Season water with salt, and add the remaining peperoncino, the remaining 3 tablespoons infused olive oil, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and the remaining lemon juice to the water. Dot the tops of the artichokes with the butter. For a denser sauce, spoon any remaining stuffing, if any, into the liquid in the dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, poke the foil a few times with a fork and bake until the leaves are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover the artichokes bake until the top of the stuffing is browned and crusty and an outer leaf is easy to pluck from the artichoke, about 10 minutes. Serve the artichokes hot in shallow soup plates, spooning some of the cooking liquid around each. home | about lidia | tv show | books | restaurants | food products | shopping travel | recipes | what's new | where's lidia | special events | contact us copyright © 2000 Felidia Inc. designed by winters ripp design |
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