Stuffed artichokes, I can’t get enough of them.
Carciofi are artichokes; farciti, imbottiti and ripieni all mean STUFFED in Italian.
If you are invited at my place for dinner during artichoke season it is very likely that one of the courses will be stuffed artichokes.
I braise stuffed artichokes in stock and white wine and all the stuffings have a proportion of breadcrumbs (1- 2day old good quality bread).
There are two other recipes on other posts for stuffed artichokes:
- Stuffed artichokes with parsley, garlic and grated cheese: STUFFED ARTICHOKES
- Stuffed artichokes with ricotta, almond meal and pistachio: STUFFED ARTICHOKES WITH RICOTTA AND ALMOND MEAL
Two lots of friends last week, two lots of artichokes and two more recipes. Although I braised the artichokes in stock and white wine, tomato pulp (canned or passata) are an option and would compliment the flavours of the following stuffings.
The cooking time will depend on the type and maturity of the artichokes. Sometimes I have found that they take 40 minutes and at other times almost double the time. To test if the artichokes are cooked, pull on one of the outside leaves – it should detach easily.
There may or may not have a fuzzy choke, depending on the maturity of the plant. If there is, remove it with a teaspoon, carefully turning it without snapping the sides of the vegetable.
STUFFED WITH MINCE MEAT
2 medium – large artichokes stock/ white wine/water/tomato pulp bay leaves Stuffing: 1 egg 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 cup of good quality lean ground beef 1tbs parsley, cut finely 1 garlic clove, chopped drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for the stuffing and ½ cup to cook the artichokes ½ cup pine nuts ground nutmeg; I also added a bit of cinnamonsalt and pepper to taste
Prepare the stuffing: Place all of the ingredients together in a bowl and combine them with your fingers. The mixture is the same as when making meatballs.Clean the artichokes, see: CARCIOFI (Artichokes and how to clean them and prepare them for cooking).
Trim the stalk with a small sharp knife to pull away the tough, stringy outer skin (just like the strings of celery). Keep the artichokes and the stem in acidulated water (water and lemon or water and a little white vinegar) until ready to stuff. Drain the artichokes, remove the outer leaves of the artichokes and cut off the top. Use your fingers to spread out the leaves; the stuffing will go mainly in the centre of the artichoke. Sprinkle a little salt between the leaves. Stuff the centre of the artichokes – I use my fingers; press the stuffing firmly into the centre. Pour the rest of the olive oil in a pan and heat it. Place the artichokes upside down into the hot oil – this will brown the meat stuffing. Turn the artichokes the right way up i.e. standing upright so that they can cook in an upright position (choose your pan carefully). Add braising liquid. The level of the braising liquid should be about 1 cm below the top of the artichokes. Add a little salt to the braising liquid. Cover and cook artichokes over low-medium heat for about 50- 80 mins. The cooking time will depend on the type and maturity of the artichokes.
VARIATION
Peas can be added during the braising – add these about 20 minutes before the cooking is finished.
STUFFED WITH BLACK OLIVES AND ANCHOVIES AND A CUBE OF CHEESE
Cheese: I used pecorino fresco but a sharper cheese like provolone or mature pecorino or parmigiano would also be suitable.
(In the photo above, the artichokes are ready to be cooked.)
Stuffing
1 cup breadcrumbs 1 tbs of one herb: parsley or fresh oregano or mint, cut finely 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for the stuffing and ½ cup to cook the artichokes ½ cup stoned black olives ¼ cup chopped anchoviesPrepare the stuffing: Place the breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs and the drizzle of oil in a bowl. Combine them with your fingers. Add the olives and anchovies and mix them through lightly. (I do not use extra salt – I find that the salt in the olives, anchovies and cheese is sufficient.)
Clean the artichokes, see: CARCIOFI (Artichokes and how to clean them and prepare them for cooking)
Trim the stalk with a small sharp knife to pull away the tough, stringy outer skin (just like the strings of celery). Keep the artichokes and the stem in acidulated water (water and lemon or water and a little white vinegar) until ready to stuff. There may or may not have a fuzzy choke, depending on the maturity of the plant. If there is, remove it with a teaspoon, carefully turning it without snapping the sides of the choke. Drain the artichokes, remove the outer leaves of the artichokes and cut off the top. Use your fingers to spread out the leaves; the stuffing will go mainly in the centre of the artichoke. Sprinkle a little salt between the leaves. Stuff the centre of the artichokes – I use my fingers; press the stuffing firmly into the centre. Press one cube of cheese into the centre the stuffing so that it is covered. Place the rest of the oil in the pan and arrange the artichokes standing upright so that they can cook in an upright position (choose your pan carefully). Add braising liquid. The level of the braising liquid should be about 1 cm below the top of the artichokes. Add a little salt to the braising liquid. Cover and cook artichokes over low-medium heat for about 50- 70 mins. The cooking time will depend on the type and maturity of the artichokes. Present with cooking liquid around them. 