ARTICHOKES ROMAN-STYLE

I have to admit I haven't had much luck finding great artichokes lately. By"great" I mean chokes that are tightly packed (not airy) and feel firm to the touch when squeezed gently, especially around the heart near the stem end. Unfortunately yes, you do need to feel them to be able to tell. Appearances can be deceptive, with artichokes as with people! So lo and behold when I strolled by the display at a local grocer and saw these beauties. I hoped it had come time to enjoy one of my favorite vegetables, finally!

That brings to mind another story that took place years ago, in Verona, Italy on a business trip. While visiting the open market in Piazza delle Erbe, I spotted Tina, The Artichoke Lady of Verona, as she's known, trimming and cleaning artichokes, just as the women in her family had done going back three generations. I turned to my boss at the time and commented, "I know her! I recognize her from the photo in the book The Sensuous Artichoke, sitting on my desk back at the office!" Tina provided an invaluable service, one that undoubtedly prompts more people to buy artichokes, and is commonly seen throughout Italy. By trimming them almost down to their hearts, ready to cook, she eliminated all the messy prep that might otherwise discourage folks at home to prepare them. No such luck here, unless you buy frozen, which are great for certain things, but not this recipe. For Carciofi alla Romana, or any stuffed artichoke recipe for that matter, it's in your hands... but I'm here to offer guidance. Or you can simply steam them whole to serve with a dipping sauce, which is also delicious, but not this recipe. Let's take it one step further...

Prepare the seasoning, consisting mostly of chopped parsley and garlic.

Trim off the stems where they meet the bottom of the artichokes. Trim the stems around the core, which is an extension of the heart; reserve the core to cook with the artichokes.

Snap off a couple layers on the outside of the artichokes to where the petals start looking yellow instead of intensely green. (In Italy they would be trimmed way back to totally yellow, but that's there, not here.) With a paring knife, trim off and discard the dark green part around the bottom.

With a very sharp knife (a serrated bread knife works well) cut off the top third of the artichoke to expose the prickly leaves and fuzzy choke (which you shouldn't eat) in the center. Scoop out and discard this part. I've found that a serrated grapefruit knife helps a lot. The size of that center section and the color of the leaves will vary from white with streaks of pink to a vivid purple color. That's also something you can't tell from looking at the outside of the artichoke. Surprise!

Serrated grapefruit knife...

Stuff the center with the seasoning.

Flip artichokes upside down in a pan, along with the reserved, trimmed stems, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and add a little water (see recipe below). They're ready to cook!

Ready to eat...

ARTICHOKES ROMAN-STYLE

Carciofi alla Romana

2 large artichokes

1 lemon, cut in half around the perimeter

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

With a serrated knife, cut off artichoke stems to create a flat bottom. Cut top thirds off artichokes and discard. Snap off a layer or two of the outermost leaves, and if prickly trim tips with kitchen shears. Rub cut surfaces with half the lemon. Pare away the tough, dark green flesh from the base of the artichokes and trim the stems down to their core. After doing this with each artichoke, drop them into a bowl of cold water with the juice of the other half of the lemon.

In a small bowl combine the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoon oil.  Stir to mix. Stuff this mixture into the center of the artichokes. Transfer the artichokes, top sides down, to a pot just large enough to hold them snuggly side-by-side. Drizzle the tops of the artichokes with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour 3/4 cup water into the bottom of the pan. Cover, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low about 40 minutes or until a small paring knife easily pierces the heart with no resistance. Uncover and continue to simmer until the remaining liquid has reduced almost to a glaze. Let cool to room temperature. Flip and serve, drizzled with the remaining pan juices.

NOTE: To eat an artichoke, pull off the petals, one at a time, dragging them through your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy portion at the base. As you make your way closer to the inside, the petals will become more tender, with more to enjoy. The heart is totally edible.

OPTION: For stuffed artichokes, add grated Pecorino cheese and breadcrumbs to the seasoning mixture with enough oil to moisten the mixture. Gently spread the leaves of the artichokes without snapping them and distribute the filling between the leaves before transferring them to the pot. Proceed with the recipe as written above.