Stuffed Artichokes
(Serves 5)
Stuffed artichokes were a staple at our Sunday dinners growing up along with pasta and meatballs.
Most of you might look at an artichoke and be intimidated by it. It looks tricky to make and you might only order while out at a restaurant. But trust me, prepping them (once you learn a few tricks) is so easy. The stuffing is even more simple with just breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, garlic, grated Pecorino Romano, salt and pepper!
Ingredients
5 Medium Size Fresh Artichokes(About 2.5 lbs.)
2 Lemons
1 Cup of Bread Crumbs
¼ Cup of Fresh Parsley, Chopped
1 Cup of Grated Pecorino Romano
1 ¼ tsp. Salt
1 ¼ tsp. Black Pepper
4 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped
6 Whole Garlic Cloves
1 ⅙ Cups of Olive Oil
Method
Cut the stem off of each artichoke so that it stands up. Take the stems and peel off the top layer with a potato peeler. Cut the top (about 1 inch) off each artichoke. Using a scissor, trim the pointy tops off the remaining leaves. Turn upside down and use your hand to push down on the artichoke. This will help start to open it up. In a bowl squeeze two lemons and add cold water. Submerge the artichokes in the water and let them soak for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, make the stuffing. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, Pecorino, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper and garlic. Add ⅓ cup of olive oil to the crumbs and use your fingers to work it through the mixture.
Remove the artichokes from the water, drain and dry each one well. Use this time to open up the leaves even more. You want to be able to stuff as much of the stuffing inside them as possible. Put the artichokes in a bowl and evenly coat them with ⅓ cup of olive and season with ¼ tsp. Each salt and pepper.
Now put ½ cup of olive oil in a deep saute pan. Be sure to use a size pan where your artichokes can be nestled close together. The pan I use looks like a large frying pan, but it is about 4 inches deep. Now, using your hands, stuff each artichoke with the bread crumbs. Be sure to get the stuffing into each little open crevice you can find. Put the artichokes in the pan. Using a measuring cup pour 2 cups of water around (not on top of) the artichokes. Place garlic cloves in the water/oil and put on the stove (low heat) and cover for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Occasionally, baste the artichokes with the juices. The artichokes are done when you can easily put a knife through it!