In every family, there are a handful of simple, soulful dishes that evoke the essence of home. For me, there is no single meal that reminds me more of childhood than my mother's stuffed artichokes.
My fondness for this technique has only grown the farther I've lived from home. (For example, when I lived in Paris, I tried this recipe with the gorgeous spherical artichokes in the greenmarkets. Sadly, it didn't taste like a thing.) What you want is the classic green, slightly elongated artichokes found in most American grocery stores, which offer a much stronger flavor. I promise, it's well worth the effort.
Ingredients:
- 2 artichokes
- 1/2 cup croutons (or toasted, roughly chopped breadcrumbs)
- 2-3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove
- olive oil and salt, to taste
- fresh parsley, optional
Instructions:
- Heat a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
- Remove artichoke stems from bulb and peel.
- Trim the top quarter to third of the leaves on the artichoke bulb.
- Rinse the artichoke bulbs and stems and place in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, crush croutons, mince garlic, and chop parsley (optional).
- Remove stem and bulb from boiling water (reserve water). Chop stem into small pieces and mix together with croutons, parmesan, garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt.
- Stuff artichoke bulbs with stem, crouton, garlic, parmesan and parsley mixture.
- Place stuffed artichokes upright in pot (water should come nearly to the top of artichokes, but no higher than the tops—remove water from pot as necessary).
- Cover artichokes and cook on a simmer for 75 to 90 minutes. (Check water periodically and add more if the level in the pot gets below the halfway mark on the artichokes).
- Check artichoke leaves for tenderness. Plate in bowl, spoon over 1-2 cups of artichoke broth. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.