Frankie And Johnnys Stuffed Artichoke Food

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Mix 3 cups breadcrumbs, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 cup each grated parmesan, pecorino, chopped parsley and olive oil in a bowl. Trim 4 large artichokes (see Cook's Note), removing the stems. Separate the leaves; stuff the crumb mixture between each. Stand upright in a steamer basket over simmering water, cover and steam over medium-low heat, adding more water as needed, until tender, about 1 hour, 20 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and some of the cooking liquid.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, anchovy, chile flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a large bowl. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon into the bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemon in a small bowl with the oil, then drizzle the lemon juice mixture into the breadcrumb mixture and mix with a fork until well combined and the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the Parmesan and set aside until ready to use.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and drop in the lemon halves. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off all but 1/2-inch of the stem. Use a serrated knife to slice about 1 inch off of the top. Use kitchen shears to trim the point off each leaf, removing 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Use your fingers to gently pull open the center leaves of the artichoke then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the fuzzy choke in the middle. (Note that removing the choke takes some effort and will make eating the final product much more enjoyable.) Submerge the cleaned artichoke in the lemon water to prevent browning and repeat with the remaining artichokes.
• Working with one artichoke at a time, remove from the water and use a clean kitchen towel to pat dry. Gently pull apart the leaves on each layer and stuff with the breadcrumbs over the bowl to avoid a mess, pressing lightly as you stuff (you will use about 2/3 cup stuffing per artichoke). Gently set the stuffed artichoke in a 9-by-9-inch casserole dish (do not use glass) or a large cast-iron skillet, standing it up on the flat stem if possible, or gently resting on the side if not. Note that you will want the artichokes to be snug in the dish to remain upright during baking. Repeat with the remaining artichokes and breadcrumbs.
• Pour the wine and 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the pan. Slice the remaining lemon into rounds and nestle them into the liquid. Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake until the artichokes leaves are tender and can be easily pulled off, 60 to 75 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and increase the temperature to 500 degrees F.
• Remove the foil and return the dish to the oven. Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the dish with tongs and place onto a serving plate. Serve with the cooking liquid lemon slices.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY'S STUFFED ARTICHOKE

Steps:

• Slice off the pointed ends of each artichoke.
• Rub a lemon on the cut ends to prevent browning.
• Slice off the stem end of each artichoke so that they sit up straight.
• Fry the bacon until crisp; drain.
• Crumble into a bowl, and mix in the next 9 ingredients.
• Spread the leaves of each artichoke as much as possible, and pack in a generous amount of stuffing around them.
• Tap each artichoke gently to let any loose stuffing fall off.
• Stand them in a casserole or roasting pan just large enough to hold them in a single layer.
• Add water to a depth of 1-1/2 inches.
• Pour a generous amount of olive oil over each artichoke, letting it seep in and top each artichoke with a slice of lemon.
• Bring the water to a boil, cover, lower the heat and steam the artichokes until the leaves pull off easily, at least 1 hour or more.
• Check the water level after about 25 minutes, and add more if necessary.
• Serve hot or warm.
• The stuffed artichokes can be prepared in advance and reheated before serving.
• Leftover stuffing keeps for 2 weeks in the refrigerator and longer in the freezer.
• Option: sprinkle grated Parmagiano Reggiano cheese over the top and place briefly under a broiler until cheese melts and begins to brown.

THE BEST STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Cut top 1/4 of an artichoke off and discard. Trim off the top 1/2 inch from remaining leaves. Cut off bottom inch from stalk to create a flat bottom. Turn artichoke upside down and bang on surface to loosen the leaves. Zest 3/4 teaspoon of lemon zest from the lemon and set aside. Cut lemon in half and rub cut leaves and stem of artichoke with lemon. Repeat artichoke prep with remaining artichokes.
• Combine reserved lemon zest with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and stir well.
• Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly into all the artichoke leaves, avoiding the thistle leaves in the direct center. Work mixture evenly into each crevice of each artichoke until all of the mixture is used.
• Pour water in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Add remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Set artichokes in the pot so that they are touching, so that they may remain upright during cooking. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the leaves release very easily, about 1 hour.
• Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more parsley if desired. Serve warm or room temperature.