Let’s talk about
artichokes. Until recently, I had only really eaten artichoke hearts, already
prepared by someone more skilled than I. A few months ago, I saw a perfect
package of three whole, fresh artichokes and thought, “This is my excuse to
find out more!” So, I just Googled artichoke recipes and quickly discovered the
magic of stuffed artichokes. So yum!
I always seem to
be drawn to Martha Stewart’s recipes and this one seemed easy enough (and it
was), so I definitely recommend this beginner recipe to get you started:
INGREDIENTS
·
1 lemon, halved
·
6 whole artichokes
·
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
·
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
·
1 small garlic clove, minced
·
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
·
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1.
Squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl
and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off
the tough outer leaves. Snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is
completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.
2.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs,
cheese, garlic, and parsley and season with pepper. Pull each leaf open
slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little filling into the opening. Place
the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add
1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and
steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife
should insert easily. Make sure the water doesn't boil dry. Add more water if
necessary.
3.
Serve each artichoke hot, on an individual
plate.
I have learned a
couple things about artichokes, including the fact that, steamed, they are
super dippable and even dipping them in melted butter, infused with garlic,
they are delectable. Do that.
They tend to be
dirty (like, literally they have dirt all up in ‘em), so soaking them is
recommended. Also, use some kitchen shears or a pair of scissors to trim the
pokey edges off the leaves. You don’t want to deal with that.
The meatier part
of the leaves is toward the inside, and the farther down you work, the meatier
the leaves are, so don’t be instantly disappointed when you take out your
gorgeous, prepared artichoke and pull off a top leaf and it isn’t very
fruitful. You’re just warming up.
This is the most
disappointing thing. I didn’t know where the heart was or how to get to it, so
I threw several away. One day, my mom stopped me, saved me, and dug it out.
YUM!
Don’t be
intimidated by artichokes, even though they have the work “choke” in their
name. Enjoy!
Be Well,
M
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