The Ultimate Stuffed Artichoke Food

THE ULTIMATE STUFFED ARTICHOKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Fill a steamer pot with a few inches of water, and place a steamer basket on top. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer.
• Use a Chef's knife to cut off about 1-inch from the top of each artichoke, and enough off of the bottom to form a nice base. Remove any especially tough outer leaves and discard them. Then use kitchen scissors to cut off the sharp tips of the leaves.
• Using your hands, carefully pull the leaves away from the middle of the artichoke -- just enough so that you can see down to the choke. Now use a spoon to reach down and gently scrape away and discard all of the fuzz, to reveal a clean heart. (See above image.) This will take a bit of muscle, but must be done. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice inside and over each one.
• Place the artichokes, stem-end up, in the steamer basket, cover, and steam until they are almost tender, about 35 minutes. (They'll finish cooking in the oven.) Check for doneness by pulling off an outer leaf - it should come off fairly easily. Set them aside to cool.
• While the artichokes are steaming, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Let it simmer until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in about ⅓ cup of lemon juice and the wine. Stir and let this simmer on low heat for about 4 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and parsley, stir to blend and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper (here's how), and set aside to cool.
• Place the artichokes, sitting on their bases, in a baking dish.
• Use a spoon and/or your hands to carefully fill the center of each artichoke with the stuffing -- fill it to maximum capacity! (If you think there's too much stuffing, don't worry just pack it in.) Then fill all of the spaces between the leaves as much as possible. Sprinkle the top of each one with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan.
• Place the stuffed artichokes in the preheated 375°F oven and bake until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cheese has melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
• I like serving these whole for sharing.

ITALIAN STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trim the stem of an artichoke so the base is flat and even. Trim the top inch off the artichoke and remove and discard any tough, woody outer leaves. Gently open up the leaves to get to the center. Using a spoon, scoop out the fuzzy choke in the center. Using scissors, trim off the sharp points of the large outer leaves. Rub and pour lemon juice all over the inside and outside (reserve half of the juice). Repeat with remaining artichokes.
• Mix together pulverized crackers, Pecorino, olive oil, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic, lemon zest and salt and pepper.
• Pack each artichoke with the stuffing mixture, starting with the interior and working your way around between the outer leaves. Continue this process with the remaining artichokes. Place artichokes in an 8-inch square baking dish and add about 1 inch of chicken stock and the reserved lemon juice to the bottom of the dish. Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake until leaves pull out easily and the meat at the bottom of the leaves is tender, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Preheat the broiler. Take off foil, drizzle the artichokes with olive oil and broil until tops are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve!

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Snip the pointed tips of artichoke leaves, and cut off the stems. Wash and drain. Holding artichoke firmly by base, firmly rap the top of it on a hard surface; this will open it so it can be stuffed.
• In a medium bowl combine bread cubes, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, oregano, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, salt and pepper; mix well.
• Press about 1/2 cup of stuffing into each artichoke. Tightly pack stuffed artichokes together in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to reach half way up artichokes and add 3 tablespoons oil.
• Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until leaves pull out easily.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off the tough outer leaves. Snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.
• In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, and parsley and season with pepper. Pull each leaf open slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little filling into the opening. Place the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife should insert easily. Make sure the water doesn't boil dry. Add more water if necessary.
• Serve each artichoke hot, on an individual plate.

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.

BAKED ARTICHOKES STUFFED WITH ANCHOVIES AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Place bread in medium bowl. Pour warm water over; soak 5 minutes. Drain, then squeeze bread dry. Return bread to same bowl. Add 1/2 cup oil, purchased breadcrumbs, mint, capers, anchovies, and chopped garlic; blend well. Season stuffing with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill large bowl with water. Squeeze in juice from lemon. Cut off all but 1 1/2 inches of stem from 1 artichoke. Peel stem with vegetable peeler. Starting at bottom of artichoke, snap off outer 3 rows of leaves. Cut off top 1/3 of artichoke. Spread leaves, exposing center. Remove center leaves and bristly choke. Place artichoke in lemon water. Repeat with remaining artichokes.
• Pour cold water into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish to reach depth of 1/2 inch. Add halved garlic. Drain artichokes. Pack centers with stuffing. Place artichokes, stuffed side down, in prepared dish. Drizzle with 1/4 cup oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover dish. Bake until tester inserted into artichoke bottoms meets no resistance, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Place artichokes on platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BAKED STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the stalks off the artichokes. Trim the outer leaves and slice an inch off the top. With a pair of scissors, trim the remaining tips from the leaves. When you have prepared the artichokes, put them in water to cover with the juice of one of the lemons so that they do not turn brown.
• Cook the artichokes in salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain them upside down in a collander and remove the bristly choke.
• Meanwhile, heat four tablespoons of the olive oil and cook the garlic and onion until soft. Mix with the bread crumbs, vinegar, mint and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the centers of the artichokes with about two tablespoons of the mixture and press the rest between the outer leaves. Place artichokes in the baking dish and pour in an inch of boiling water. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining oil and lemon juice. Serve hot or cold.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Trim artichoke (Starting at the bottom, grasp leaves, bending backwards and snap off) up about 1 inch up from base.
• Snip sharp points off remaining leaves.
• Use Serrated knife to take off top- giving artichoke a"flat top".
• Trim stem off at the bottom.
• After trimming, place artichokes in acidulated water.
• Steam artichokes with lemon juice and water (I use about 4 lemons juiced) for 20 minutes.
• While chokes are steaming, mix bread crumbs, cheese, basil, garlic and 1/2 cup of the olive oil.
• Remove'chokes from steamer, turning upside down to drain Using a towel grab choke and with"flat top" side down press down smartly on the counter to"open up" choke.
• Then take bread crumb mixture and stuff between the leaves.
• Place chokes in heavy pot,stem side down, adding about 1/2 cup of bread crumb mixture to the bottom of the pot Add 2 inches of water Pour olive oil over each choke.
• Cover and steam over low or bake at 325 oven for 45 minutes, until leaves come out easily.
• After removing chokes to serve, reduce remaining liquid slightly- the bread crumbs will make it thicken.
• Drizzle sauce over chokes.

WHOLE STUFFED ARTICHOKES BRAISED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Make stuffing:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread bread crumbs in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Cool crumbs completely, then toss with parmesan, garlic, parsley, soppressata, zest if using, salt, and pepper. Drizzle oil over crumbs and toss to coat evenly.
• Trim and stuff artichokes:
• Cut off artichoke stems and discard. Cut off top 1/2 inch of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife, then cut about 1/2 inch off all remaining leaf tips with kitchen shears. Rub cut leaves with a lemon half.
• Separate leaves slightly with your thumbs and pull out purple leaves from center and enough yellow leaves to expose fuzzy choke. Scoop out choke with melon-ball cutter, then squeeze some lemon juice into cavity.
• Trim remaining artichokes in same manner.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons stuffing into cavity of each artichoke and, starting with bottom leaves and spreading leaves open as much as possible without breaking, spoon a rounded 1/2 teaspoon stuffing inside each leaf. Top each artichoke with a slice of provolone.
• Cook artichokes:
• Put water, wine, oil, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in pressure cooker (without insert) or pot and arrange stuffed artichokes in liquid in 1 layer.
• Seal pressure cooker with lid and cook at high pressure, according to manufacturer's instructions, 10 minutes. Put pressure cooker in sink (do not remove lid) and run cold water over lid until pressure goes down completely.
• If using a regular pot, simmer artichokes, covered, until leaves are tender, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes with tongs to 4 soup plates and spoon cooking liquid around them.

ITALIAN STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Rinse artichokes well, tugging leaves outward to loosen slightly for stuffing.
• Trim off stems so artichokes sit on a flat surface.
• Trim off the pointed tips of each leaf.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl combine bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper.
• Mix well; slowly add the oil till the crumb mixture is moistened enough to stick together.
• You may need to adjust the amount of oil depending on the type and amount of bread crumbs used.
• Stuff each leaf of the artichoke, starting from the bottom and working your way around, with crumb mixture.
• Stuff desired amount of leaves and shake off excess mixture.
• Continue this step with remaining artichokes.
• Place artichokes in a large baking pan and fill bottom of pan with 1/2 to 1 inch of water.
• Drizzle olive oil over top of stuffed artichokes and cover tightly with heavy duty foil.
• Cook on 375 degrees for approximately 60-80 minutes (depending on size of artichoke) or until leave comes out easily.
• Cool for 10 minutes; serve and Enjoy!