Roman Artichokes
Ingredients:
8 artichokes
1 lemon
1 lemon
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup of olive oil plus extra for finishing
dash of dry white wine
1/4 cup mint, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup of olive oil plus extra for finishing
dash of dry white wine
1. Discard the tough outer leaves and chop the stems of the artichokes off just below the bases. Firmly press each artichoke upside down on the counter to make it “bloom.” Scoop out the choke (the hairy white part) and place the cleaned artichokes in a bowl of water with the juice of 1 lemon squeezed in. This prevents the inside of the artichokes from becoming an unappetizing greyish-brown when exposed to the air.
2. Mix together garlic, lemon, herbs, bread crumbs, and olive oil. Take artichokes out of lemon bath, rub the mixture inside, spooning any extra inside. Salt and pepper liberally.
3. Place artichokes side by side, like soldiers at attention, upside in a heavy-bottomed pot with 1 1/2 – 2 inches of water and a dash of wine. You want the artichokes close enough together so that they can”t tip over and bob around.
4. Cover the top of the pot with a damp paper towel and place a tight-fitting lid over that – this is to prevent any steam from escaping. Cook on medium for 30-40 minutes. The artichokes are ready when a fork pierces them easily. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set on a plate to cool. Once they are lukewarm, drizzle olive oil over them. You want to wait to add the oil until the artichokes have cooled a bit so that they don’t immediately suck it up and become soggy.