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Carciofi Imbottiti, or stuffed artichokes, are one of my favourite recipes and I find them irresistibly delicious.

In Sicilian dialect there are two words for artichokes—cacocciuli and carcioffuli. In Italian, the singular is carciofo and the plural carciofi. And truly, where would Italian cooking be without them?

My preferred way of making stuffed artichokes is the simple, traditional approach my mother has always used. My maternal grandmother, Maria—originally from Catania but who lived in Trieste for many years—also prepared them this way. She used the same mixture to stuff sardines, tomatoes and artichokes.

When researching Sicilian recipes for Carciofi Imbottiti, I found that although the artichokes are always braised, the stuffing varies by region: some add mint, others include egg, minced onion, extra cheese or even salame.

Here in Australia, artichokes are now easy to find, yet many still consider them exotic or difficult to prepare. Exotic, perhaps, for their beautiful shape and distinctive flavour—but with a little practice they are wonderfully simple to cook. You may, however, need to show your friends how to eat them properly, as many attempt to tackle artichokes with a knife and fork!

Selecting Artichokes

Choosing good artichokes is essential. I often walk away from buying them because they’ve been picked too late and are too mature. Some inexperienced growers assume bigger is better, but tenderness is far more important (although some green varieties can be large and still tender). As with any vegetable, avoid artichokes that are bruised, blemished or withered.

INGREDIENTS AND PROCESS

Prepare the artichokes as described in my previous post: [Carciofi  – Artichokes and How to Clean Them]. Trim the bases flat so they can stand upright in the saucepan. Select a pot that fits them snugly so they don’t fall over. Keep the trimmed stems and add them to the braise, and always place artichokes in acidulated water while you work.

Ingredients

• 1 artichoke per person
• 2–3 teaspoons of stuffing per artichoke

Stuffing Mixture, per artichoke

(Make enough for each artichoke—multiply as needed)

• 1 tablespoon fresh breadcrumbs(made from good quality bread, preferably 1-2 days old)
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated cheese (Parmesan or traditionally Sicilian pecorino)
• Chopped garlic to taste
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

Drain the artichokes. Gently spread the leaves, especially in the centre. Season inside the leaves with salt and pepper.

Push the stuffing inside the central cavity and, if you have extra, between the outer leaves. Fingers work best for this.

Arrange the artichokes standing upright in a pan, put the stems between them and drizzle well with more extra virgin olive oil. Add enough cold water to reach to about 1cm below the artichokes. Cook slowly with a lid for about an hour.

In Sicily water is added as the poaching liquid. Having lived in Trieste, I always add a splash of white wine and a little stock or even a good-quality vegetable stock cube to the poaching liquid.

You can add peas, broad beans or potatoes

If adding peas, broad beans or potatoes, place the potatoes in at the beginning and the peas or broad beans about 15 minutes before the end of cooking. In many Italian households everything goes in at once—some Italians love their vegetables soft, and perhaps they’re right: it can add extra flavour.

I prefer to serve Carciofi Imbottiti as a single course. They are too fiddly and too delicious to play a supporting role alongside a main dish.

Fabulous!!

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