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Stuffed Artichokes

Source of Recipe

From "Back Around the Table" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"When I go to Italian restaurants, I'm always thrilled to see stuffed artichokes on the menu. Here, I use large globe artichokes stuffed with bread crumbs, garlic, and plenty of cheese between the leaves. You pluck out and scrape each leaf along your teeth, dig out the stuffing, and then finally cut away the fuzzy 'choke' to reach the heart. Serve stuffed artichokes as a first course at a dinner party. Be sure to encourage guests to use their fingers!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 large globe artichokes
â—¦ 1 lemon, cut in half
â—¦ 2 cups bread crumbs
â—¦ 1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
â—¦ 1 teaspoon garlic salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
â—¦ ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges


Recipe

Using a serrated knife, cut off the artichoke stems so they sit flat. Cut the top thirds off the artichokes, pull off the tough outer leaves, and trim the pointy leaves with kitchen shears. Using your hands, turn the artichokes upside down and press open the artichoke leaves to make room for the stuffing. Rinse the artichokes under running water to remove any dirt. Rub the cut leaves and bottoms with the lemon halves to keep the artichokes from turning dark. Set aside.

Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic salt, pepper, oregano, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl. Using your hands, push about ½ cup bread crumb mixture between the leaves of each artichoke. Put the artichokes in a Dutch oven—they should be upright and touch one another—and fill the pot with water halfway up the artichokes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the water and drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the artichokes. Cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, drizzling 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil over the artichokes every 20 minutes and adding a little more water to the pot as necessary. There should always be 1 to 2 inches of water in the pot. The artichokes are done when a leaf can be easily pulled off. Serve the artichokes in shallow soup bowls with lemon wedges for squeezing over the tops.

Makes 6 servings