We had a wonderful holiday tradition when I was growing up. Every Easter, dad would make stuffed artichokes. There’s a two-part process for cooking them: first, they need to simmer in a pot, then they get browned beneath the broiler right before serving. So he would leave them on the stove until he was ready to serve them. After dinner, while we were clearing the plates and making the coffee, he’d notice the pot and realize he never finished them. That’s why stuffed artichokes, which are really an appetizer, were traditionally served right before dessert at my house.
Artichokes take a lot of preparation, which is why they are generally reserved for special occasions. The actual ingredients for the stuffing can vary depending on what’s in season or what you have in the pantry. In this case, I used Italian kale because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use spinach or anything else that might complement the artichoke flavor. Also, cleaning the artichokes is a bit of a chore—you need to snip off the sharp points of the leaves and scoop out the “choke.” They lose their color quickly when exposed to air, but a quick dip in some lemon water will preserve their brightness. Some people don’t sautée the stuffing, they just mix it up dry. I guess it just depends on what you put in it. Also, many people don’t realize that the stems of the artichoke are delicious—but you need to cut away the coarse outer layer. I chop them up and add them to the stuffing.
To cook them, put them in a pot with about an inch of water and let them simmer and steam for a good long time—at least 40 minutes. You really don’t have to worry about overcooking them, but you do need to keep an eye on the water so that it doesn’t completely evaporate. They are essentially done when you can pluck a leaf without having to tug very hard. You can cut them in half and then put them in the broiler, or leave them whole.
By the way, artichokes are thistles—Eeyore’s favorite food! Actually, they are the immature flowers of the thistle. You may remember that I used to grow them—not to eat, just for show, because artichokes produce gorgeous blue flowers. In fact, you can sometimes find the flowers for sale in the farmer’s market.
Print
What you need
Fresh artichokes (maybe 2)
Breadcrumbs
Olive oil
Garlic
Scallion
Spinach/kale/parsley
Pignoli
Sun-dried tomatoes
White wine
lemon
Grated cheese
How you make it
- Cut the stems from the artichokes
- Cut the points off the leaves and cut off the top
- Scoop out the inner choke, down to the heart
- Squeeze some lemon into a bowl of water
- Dip the cleaned artichokes into the lemon water
- Cut away the outer layer of the stems and chop the cores
- Mince garlic and scallions
- Chop pignoli, sun-dried tomato, and leafy greens
- Sautee all ingredients in olive oil
- Add breadcrumbs and sautee
- Add white wine and sautee
- Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese
- Press stuffing between leaves of artichoke
- Simmer in an inch of water until tender, at least 40 min
- Brown beneath the broiler
Try to remember to serve them at the beginning of dinner—not with your coffee and dessert!
Buon appetito!
Recent Comments