Artichokes in the Roman Style (Carciofi Alla Romano) Recipes
Ingredients :
6 large artichokes
1 lemon, halved
2 cups good-quality white wine vinegar
1 cup lemon juice
2 cups water
3 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch of mint
3 cups bread crumbs
Method :
Cut off the
top third of the artichokes. Remove all the outer leaves until you reach
the soft light-colored inner leaves. With a spoon, completely remove the
choke and the fuzz in the center of the heart. Do not remove the stem,
which is one of the tastiest parts. Rub the prepared artichoke hearts
all over with a cut lemon as you work to prevent them from turning
brown.
Mix the
vinegar, lemon juice, water, garlic, salt and pepper together and bring
to a boil in a pot large enough to accommodate all the artichokes (the
artichokes must be completely submerged in the liquid). Immerse the
prepared artichokes in the boiling liquid and put some weights on top of
them (small plates work well) or they will float to the top and not cook
evenly. Cook on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes, or until a
fork easily pierces the bottoms. Remove from the liquid and cool to room
temperature.
While the
artichokes are cooking, chop the mint and mix with the bread crumbs. Set
aside.
When cool,
stuff the artichokes with the bread crumb mixture and serve.
Serves 6
In its traditional preparation,
Roman-style artichokes require little oil, so the following adaptation
closely resembles the original. The artichokes are excellent served as
an appetizer with warm grilled bread.
