Artichokes also know in Italian as “carciofo” have been a staple in my life since I was a kid. My grandmother made them for every holiday dinner and I can still see her walking into the dining room with that huge pan full of those beautiful stuffed creations. It seems like back then it was not all that hard to find beautiful artichokes but unfortunately, these days I find that the really gorgeous ones are few and far between. When I do find them I snatch them up immediately! These beauties came from Trader Joe’s.
When choosing an artichoke look for a “big bottom” heavy with pretty leaves that are not thin and pointy. They need to be firm to the touch with no tinted brown leaves. If they feel light and hollow, don’t waste your money. They need to look like this beauty in the photo below. The first thing I do is soak them in a bowl of cold water with about 1/4 C of lemon juice. I leave them in the bath for about 30 minutes. This cleans any dirt that may be on them and also helps to soften and make removing the center easier. Once I trim the leaves I cut about 1/4 in off the top and pull out the center leaves which tend to be spikey creating a nice space to house the delicious stuffing. I was a bit surprised to learn that some folks do not stuff the center just the leaves, but once you taste my stuffing you will surely want to get as much of it as possible!
I begin with stale bread (remember that stale bread drawer we talked about in a previous post?) homemade bread cubes are the ticket for any stuffing. I begin by sauteeing 4 cloves of chopped garlic in about 1/4 C olive oil. Then I add 1/2 C Kalamata olives chopped and 1/4 C capers. To that, I add a healthy pinch of crushed red pepper and healthy a pinch of Italian seasoning. Now add 11/2 C chicken or vegetable stock and about a Tsp of lemon juice. Let that all hang out for a few minutes, turn off the heat and fold in those fresh bread cubes, about 21/2 cups. Add 1/2 C Parmesan or Romano cheese and about a Tbs of fresh Italian parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. You should have a beautiful and very moist stuffing, enough for 4-6 chokes depending on how large they are and how much you use. I stuff the center and the first row of surrounding leaves, but you can do it however you like.
I wrap each choke with foil and set them in a deep skillet or pot with about 2 C of water on the bottom, I top each one with more parm cheese, loosely close up the foil, cover the pot and simmer for about 1 hour. This steams them rather than bakes them and I personally find the finished product to be fantastic and super moist and tender! And here’s the best news, not only are these big bottom beauties delicious but artichokes are number 7 on the USDA list of the top 20 antioxidant-rich foods. Always a crowd pleaser and healthy too!
