posted by SueFreeman 05-15-101 7:29 PM
Stuffed Artichokes
For 4 artichokes:
Clean and Trim
Have a bowl or pot of stainless steel, no aluminum, or acidulated water. Water that has lemon juice in it,or vinegar or wine. Or have some cut lemons ready to use.
In Italy the artichokes come with stems about 12 inches or more and they are eaten. The stems of the artichokes are good to eat and they are tender. So use them. Peel them like you would a carrot and they are ready. Rub with lemon juice or dip in the acid water prepared for this use. Artichokes will turn quickly... even more quickly than avocados so dip and rub lemon often.
Starting at the bottom of the artichoke start pulling off leaves. Bend backwards til it snaps off and keep snapping off the bottom outer leaves until you see the inner leaves and a white bottom to it. Rub with lemon or dip in acidic water. Now lay down on a cutting board and cut off the top 1/3 of the artichoke. Dip in acidic water or rub with lemon juice again to all exposed cut areas.
Spread open the artichoke starting in the middle and working outward. Remove the middle, which is called a choke. Don't be afraid to remove it. It will leave a huge hole in the center. Use a melon baller to finish it so it is cleaned out. Rub inside with lemon juice or dip in acidic water again.
If you are stuffing you can stuff them whole or cut in half and stuff that way. Either way, when done preparing, put in acidic water until ready to stuff.
Stuffing:
1/4 lb Italian sausage, cooked and drained of fat, crumble while frying.
1 small onion, finely chopped and sauteed until tender
1 cup herbed bread crumbs
4 cloves minced garlic
10 leaves of mint, chopped finely
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1/2 tsp pepper and salt to taste
8 Generous T olive oil
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Take artichokes out of water and pat dry. Stuff with stuffing spreading some of the leaves and putting stuffing inbetween them also. Pour a little olive oil over each artichoke.
In Oven: Place artichoke in oven proof dish with water and some white wine 1/2 inch deep and cover. Place in 350 oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until artichokes are done. You test for doneness by pulling off one leaf. If it comes off without resistance then it is done.
On Stove: Place artichoke in stainless steel, non stick or enamel cookware deep pan with water/wine (white) to 1/2 inch deep. Place artichokes in and cover and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until artichokes are done. Test by pulling leaf if it comes off without resistance it is done.
If you are using baby artichokes you don’t remove the choke and you eat the leaves.
To Eat: Pull off leaves and pull between teeth. The stuff you want is on the inside of the leaf and it is so good. When you get to the bottom of the artichoke that is the heart, you can eat that, it is so different from bottled and canned artichoke hearts.
In Italy they heat olive oil up and deep fry the artichokes and then eat them deep fried. You can also grill them. But cut them in half and use the baby ones. Make sure you baste with olive oil and lemon juice often.