Ingredients:
- 4 medium to large artichokes, prepped for stuffing (see below)
- 1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
- ½ cup water
- 3 lemons, 2 halved ,1 sliced
- 3 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs, made from Seasoned Croutons (recipe follows)
- ½ cup pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 loaf of day old bread
Preparation:
Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4
Make the Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil.
- Tear the bread into irregular pieces of about 1 inch. Put them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Blend the oils in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry brush to paint the croutons on all sides with the oil. Toast in the oven until golden.
- Toss with fleur de sel.
Make the Artichokes
- Preheat oven to 350 °F
- When the croutons have cooled put them in a zip lock bag and bash them with a rolling pin or skillet into not to fine breadcrumbs, about the texture of panko.
- Put them in a bowl along with the grated cheese the egg and the parsley. If you salvaged the stems chop them, squirt with lemon and add to the crumb mixture. Combine well with your hands.
- Gently spread the leaves of the artichoke and put a spoonful of stuffing behind each. Fill the hollowed out center with the crumb mixture. Lay a slice of lemon on the top of each artichoke and secure it with butcher’s twine.
- Put the oil, wine and water in a deep non -reactive pot with a lid, just big enough to hold the artichokes snuggly. An enameled Dutch oven is ideal. Bring it to a boil. Cut a parchment circle the same diameter as the pot. Set the artichokes in the pot.
- Lay the parchment on top of them, cover the pot and pop it in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
How to Prep an Artichoke for Stuffing
- Fill a bowl large enough to contain the artichokes with ice water. Juice one lemon into it. Throw in the shells. Put in the artichokes stems sides down and let them sit for a ½ hour.
- Rub lemon on each cut surface of the artichoke as you proceed. Cut off the stem so that the artichoke sits flat. If the stems are sizable, pare away the green stringy section and put the tender core back into the acidulated water.
- Remove 2 or 3 rows of the toughest outermost bracts. Peel back and snap off the leaves at the point where they break easily until you reach the pale inner portion. Remember to keep rubbing lemon on the exposed surfaces to prevent discoloration.
- Slice an inch or more off the top. Rub the cut end with ½ of the lemon and squeeze the juice inside. Hollow out the center by pulling out the small leaves. Scrape away the fuzzy “choke” with a spoon or melon baller. Squeeze some more lemon juice into the center.
- Trim the base with a paring knife. Put each artichoke back in the acidulated water while you prep the rest.
