It seems like the artichoke was designed for stuffing. That huge cavity in the middle surrounded by all those layered leaves make it a perfect receptacle for all sort of savories. No wonder there is an almost endless variety of stuffed artichoke recipes.
Here is the way that Angelina made her stuffed artichokes: as always, her recipe was as straightforward as they come, with a simple stuffing of bread crumbs, garlic, grated cheese and parsley, bound with a bit of egg. The artichoke is boiled, stuffed and then baked until golden brown on top. It’s a technique that really lets the flavor of the artichoke itself shine through.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a antipasto or vegetarian secondo
- 4 large globe artichokes
- 1 lemon
- Salt
For the stuffing:
- 100g (4 oz) bread crumbs (or crumbed crustless bread)
- 50g (2 oz.) grated cheese (parmesan and/or pecorino)
- 1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
- A few stalks of fresh parsley, finely minced
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Artichoke stems, peeled and finely chopped (optional)
For the baking:
- Water or white wine
- Olive oil, q.b.
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Trim off the stem of the artichoke so it can ‘sit’ without rolling over. Then tear off the toughest outer leaves, but leave most of the leaves on. Cut off the top 2-3 cm (1 inch) of the tip of the artichoke and, using a pair of scissors, trim off the pointed tips of the remaining outer leaves. Bang the artichoke against a hard surface and use your hands to loosen the leaves a bit. As you work, rub the artichoke with the cut end of half a lemon. After you treat each artichoke this way, place it in a bowl of water that you will have acidulated with the other half of the lemon.
Bring a large pot filled with salted water to the boil. Toss in the trimmed artichokes (as well as the stems, if you want to include them in the stuffing) and parboil them until they are slightly underdone, about 10-15 minutes or perhaps a bit more, depending on the size and freshness of the vegetables. (You can poke the bottom with a paring knife to test doneness.)
While the artichokes are cooking, you can make your stuffing by mixing together all the ingredients listed in a large bowl until they are well amalgamated into a smooth paste. (If using the stems, fish them out of the water, drain them out of the water and chop them finely before adding them to the mixture before stuffing the artichokes.)
When the artichokes are done, fish them out of the pot with a slotted spoon and let them cool off a bit, placed upside down so they can drain well. Then, using a paring knife or spoon, dig out the ‘choke’ (the collection of fibers and inedible small leaves at the core of the vegetable) to create a cavity to hold the stuffing.
Using a spoon (or your hands!) stuff the center of the artichoke and the spaces between the leaves as well. Place the stuffed artichokes on a baking dish. (They can be left this way until you are ready to cook.)
Pour over a small glassful of water or white wine. Drizzle them with a generous amount of olive oil, season them with salt and pepper, and place them in a preheated oven (200C/400F). Let them bake for about about 30 minutes, or until they are nicely browned on top. Baste them from time to time during as they bake with the cooking juices in the bottom of the baking dish.
Remove and let them cool, serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
As mentioned in the intro, there are endless variations on the basic stuffing that Angelina liked to use. It can be enriched with small cubes of caciocavallo, provolone, Emmenthal, mozzarella or any meltable cheese that strikes you fancy, and/or little bits of cured meat like ham, prosciutto, salame or pancetta. Or you can go in an entirely different direction, adding some capers and anchovies (and mozzarella, which goes well with this combination). Many recipes omit the egg, which makes for a softer stuffing. [NB: There are also stuffings that go in an entirely different direction, like stuffings based on ground meat, but those merit their own posts.]
The technique also changes among recipes. If you don’t want to use your oven, you can make these stuffed artichokes in padella: stuff them raw, snuggle them together tightly in a pot, then add water almost up to the top. Drizzle them with olive oil, season, then cover the pot tightly and simmer the artichokes until they are very tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated. (See this video for a nice demonstration.)
There are also different ways to stuff the artichoke. Especially if you are using smaller artichokes, you can dispense with trying to get any stuffing between the leaves and just stuff the center. In some recipes, you slice the artichoke down the center and top up the exposed center with the stuffing. In these variations, you often trim the artichoke in the more usual Italian way, removing all the tough outer leaves, leaving only the edible bits (see this post for basic instructions).
Stuffed artichokes make a great antipasto, but they are substantial enough—especially if you enrich the stuffing—to serve as a nice vegetarian secondo or even a piatto unico for a light supper. Don’t serve them straight out of the oven; they delicate flavors are best enjoyed either warm or at room temperature.
Angelina’s Carciofi Imbottiti (Stuffed Artichokes)
Ingredients
- 4 large globe artichokes
- 1 lemon
- Salt
For the stuffing:
- 100 g 4 oz bread crumbs (or crumbed crustless bread)
- 50 g 2 oz. grated cheese (parmesan and/or pecorino)
- 1 small clove of garlic finely minced
- A few stalks of fresh parsley finely minced
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Artichoke stems peeled and finely chopped (optional)
For the baking:
- Water or white wine
- Olive oil q.b.
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim off the stem of the artichoke so it can 'sit' without rolling over. Then tear off the toughest outer leaves, but leave most of the leaves on. Cut off the top 2-3 cm (1 inch) of the tip of the artichoke and, using a pair of scissors, trim off the pointed tips of the remaining outer leaves. Bang the artichoke against a hard surface and use your hands to loosen the leaves a bit. As you work, rub the artichoke with the cut end of half a lemon.
- After you treat each artichoke this way, place it in a bowl of water that you will have acidulated with the other half of the lemon.
- Bring a large pot filled with salted water to the boil. Toss in the trimmed artichokes (as well as the stems, if you want to include them in the stuffing) and parboil them until they are slightly underdone, about 10-15 minutes or perhaps a bit more, depending on the size and freshness of the vegetables. (You can poke the bottom with a paring knife to test doneness.)
- While the artichokes are cooking, you can make your stuffing by mixing together all the ingredients listed in a large bowl until they are well amalgamated into a smooth paste. (If using the stems, fish them out of the water, drain them out of the water and chop them finely before adding them to the mixture before stuffing the artichokes.)
- When the artichokes are done, fish them out of the pot with a slotted spoon and let them cool off a bit, placed upside down so they can drain well. Then, using a paring knife or spoon, dig out the 'choke' (the collection of fibers and inedible small leaves at the core of the vegetable) to create a cavity to hold the stuffing.
- Using a spoon (or your hands!) stuff the center of the artichoke and the spaces between the leaves as well.
- Place the stuffed artichokes on a baking dish. (They can be left this way until you are ready to cook.)
- Pour over a small glassful of water or white wine. Drizzle them with a generous amount of olive oil, season them with salt and pepper, and place them in a preheated oven (200C/400F). Let them bake for about about 30 minutes, or until they are nicely browned on top. Baste them from time to time during as they bake with the cooking juices in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Remove and let them cool, serve warm or at room temperature.
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Frico
24 Comments on “Carciofi Imbottiti (Angelina’s Stuffed Artichokes)”
Hey Frank,My mom makes’em almost like you but she dosn’t scoop out the delicious heart & the stem (about 2 inches)closest to the choke is very tender is chopped off after the boil & goes into the roast pan in the oven with the chokes after the fry.After the boil & stuffing she pan fries the artichokes first Bottoms down then tops down till they’re golden both sides.Then they go into the oven (with the tender 2 inch stems) in a roasting pan with a little olive oil & bakes’em till done.The actual roasting time is her secret & i’ve never been able to time it because she’s sneeky.Eating them is the difference between Italian style & everyone else.The prayer starts by pulling one by one, each leaf starting at the bottom row & slowly going around row by row pulling out each leaf individually & while holding the outer part of the leaf with your 2 fingers ,ones the thumb & the others the next one to it. You pull it between your front top & bottom teeth (heart end first) of course .With this Italian technique you scrape off into your mouth the stuffing & the tender inner heart side of the choke.The now scraped leaf is discarded into a side plate & go on to the next leaf.The little short stems are almost as good as the heart.Finger bowl to prep for utensils .You finish the heavenly heart & stems with knife & fork. Amen
Sounds delicious, Francesco!
The artichoke looks amazing! I make something very similar except it has a tiny bit of cooked Italian sausage in the stuffing. I am going to gorge myself on artichokes when we arrive in Rome!
This looks wonderful and delicious! It reminds me of the ones my mother made. Thanks for sharing!
Another dish/cuisine made from artichokes. I’ve been searching over the internet for tips and dishes. Organic artichokes contains a very high content of antioxidants. How to grow these? Click below
http://farmingeek.org/farming-how-to/how-to-start-an-organic-farm/how-to-grow-artichokes-organically
Thanks for inspiring to post an artichoke recipe today that I linked back to this post. I had never cooked large artichokes like these before and the timing of your post couldn't have been better.
I am always eyeballing artichokes at the market, but I never get them … what a shame eh? I love this simple method and all of your useful tips.
My mother always made carciofi alla giudia and I craved for stuffed ones, but could only eat them if someone else prepared them. Yours look very nice! I don't need anything else on the menu when these beauties are served.
This looks so good. Just bought 4 organic artichokes yesterday and was looking for a good recipe. Will definitely be giving this one a try. Thanks for sharing!
Do try it, Tiffany! It's really very easy to do!
OMG, I think this is my Italian Mother-In-Law's recipe! My husband raves about her stuffed artichokes, too intimidated to try, could I ever even come close?? Thanks for all the tips, I might give it a try! (fingers crossed!)
Thanks so much, CJ. And welcome. :=)
Thanks for stopping by, Sherry!
Thanks for the kind words, Drick! Definitely worth another try!
Thx for connecting with me on foodbuzz. I just subscribed to your blog feed and can't wait to see what your next post will be!
This is such a winner! Love this for summer entertaining. Always enjoy a visit with you.
now that is how you stuff an artichoke – and you make it sound effortless, I tried it a couple of times but I think I overcomplicated things… like Angelina's approach much better
No problem, Claudia! Sometimes I think we all had the *same* grandmother…
Thanks!
It was National Artichoke Day on Saturday, apparently. Perhaps that explains it? Or just the fact that artichokes are in season. I never pay attention to fake holidays!
I'm with Linda – it's my second stuffed artichoke of the week in the oven and I want to make both of them (similar but different). I am determined to open my artichoke repertoire. My grandmother stuffed them – but we have no set way of what she did. I'm just taking your recipe and calling it hers! In my living room – does copyright extend to living rooms?)
It sure looks great!
Frank – This is the second stuffed artichoke post I've read in two days that features baking in the oven, vs. cooking on the stovetop (my method). I have to say this really intrigues me since the bread has a chance to form a brown crust. I'm trying the oven method next – they look too delicious and tempting. The stuffing you used is identical to the one my mother-in-law used to make – It's delicious and it does indeed let the artichoke shine.