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Carciofi alla giudia

Roman Jewish Style Artichokes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Antipasto
Cuisine: Lazio
Keyword: fried, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 globe artichoke
  • Vegetable and/or olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1 Lemon for prepping the artichoke

Instructions

  • Begin by trimming the artichoke. You peel the stem, then starting at the base of the artichoke, peel off the toughest, dark green outer leaves.
  • Trim off the darker green tops of the remaining leaves lying underneath with a paring knife. Trim the steam of its tough exterior.
  • Immediately rub the artichoke all over with the cut side of a lemon, then submerge it in acidulated water until you're ready to fry. 
  • Heat abundant the oil in a large pot to about 120-150C/250-300F. The oil should be deep enough that the artichoke can float in it and bubble up very gently around the artichoke as it fries.
  • Drain the artichoke and pat it perfectly dry. Place on its side in the oil. Let it cook on all sides, turning it from time to time, until almost tender. The artichoke will have slightly browned and its outer leaves begun to open.
  • Depending on the size and age of your artichoke, this initial fry should take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
    You can test for doneness by inserting a paring knife in the stem and body of the artichoke. If you meet only minimal resistance, it's done. Remove and drain on paper towels.
  • When the artichoke has completely cooled, take a fork and separate the leaves outward so as to 'open' the artichoke up into something resembling a flower.
  • Now heat your oil until quite hot (180-200C/350-400F). Holding the artichoke with tongs, dip the artichoke face down into the hot oil. It should immediately bubble up, this time in a very lively fashion, around the edges of the artichoke. Let the artichoke fry for 2-3 minutes or so, until the leaves have opened even more and the face of the artichoke is a lovely golden brown. 
  • Drain the fried artichoke well, face side down, on paper towels or a rack. 
  • Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with salt.