Carciofi alla Romana (Roman Style Artichokes)
Italians love their artichokes and Romans know how to treat them.
I first had this dish in the Jewish Ghetto in Roma at Giggetto al Portico d’Ottavia sitting outside on a hot summer day with a glass of chilled Frascati and the Portico ruins as our vista.
This is my interpretation of that dish. It is one of my favorites second only to my mom’s artichokes stuffed whole and roasted in the oven. Those are messy to eat. You gotta scrape the leaves with your teeth to get the meat and stuffing. With these you can eat the whole thing!
Carciofi alla Romana (Roman-Style Artichokes)
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped fine
- 4 tablespoons flat Italian parsley, chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
- 2 anchovy filets, chopped fine
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup EVOO
Cooking Directions
- Put the crumbs, mint, parsley, garlic, anchovy, sea salt and pepper in a bowl. Moisten with 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Mix well.
- Cut off the artichoke stem. Rub the cut areas of the artichoke with a lemon half to prevent oxidation as you clean them.
- Clean the artichokes by pulling of all the tough outer leaves until you reach the pale green/yellow leaves. (You want to keep a ring of the tougher outer leaves so the artichoke does not fall apart during the stuffing and braising.)
- Cut off the artichoke top at the point where the leaves turn from green to pale green/yellow.
- Peel the dark green skin from the exterior of the heart at the bottom of the artichoke.
- Using a pointed spoon, remove the choke (the purple leaves and furry base in the center of the artichoke.)
- Place the cleaned artichokes in a bowl of acidulous water (enough water with the juice of at least a half lemon in the bowl to cover the artichokes.
- Dry the arichoke. Stuff each with one quarter of the stuffing. Be sure to get the stuffing into the outer leaves and fill the center where the choke was. You want some stuffing with each bite of the artichoke.
- Put the artichokes standing upright close together in an enameled or other thick-bottomed pot. Add water to about an inch or two up the side of the artichoke, drizzle in 1/2 cup EVOO moistening the artichokes with the remainder sprinkled into the water bath.
- Braise covered over low/medium heat for about 40 minutes or until the artichoke heart is knife tender.
- Take the artichokes out of the pot and place in a serving dish.
- Reduce the cooking liquid by about two-thirds to thicken the sauce. Drizzle over artichokes.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Gianni
You just made my favorite vegetable even more delicious and enjoyable, I have tried to replicate my Mom’s finished product. I know the ingredients and they taste the same as hers but they were always too tough on the outside. I never thought to pull off the hard dry leaves to the succulent inner leaves. The outer leaves interfered with the steaming method. I also now scoop out the choke while preparing them.
Thanks for the information and help! You’really the Best!
Ciao for now
Grazie
I am a 2nd generation Italian American whose grandparents came from Sicily on on my Mom’s side and Calabria on my Dad’s side (via Ellis Island in the very early 1900’s). My Mother’s family always made Carciofi stuffed as you described that your Mother did and we would have them for each of the big holiday meals. They sound really good the way you make them so I think I’ll have to dive your method a try.
Ciao Margie. Let me know how the stuffed artichokes turn out for you.
Buon appetito!
–Gianni
We couldn’t get enough of these when we were in Rome 2 years ago. When we got back home I attempted to make them from a recipe I found online, but they were nothing like these…my husband and I ate 2 each 🙂
Thanks Gianni!
Two each, bravo. They’re good for you.
I eat a lot of carciofi in Roma, especially in the Jewish Ghetto. This recipe is a good adaptation to tide you over until you get back to Roma.
Turned out AMAZING!!!!!! Thank you so much for another wonderful recipe. My family, who have been scarred by my earlier artichoke attempts, loved thes. 🙂
Ciao Dawn. Great to hear the carciofi was a hit with your family. Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables and I’ll share some other easy recipes soon. I’m waiting for baby artichokes to hit the market.
Wonderful!! Can’t wait to try it — I LOVE artichokes. There’s a saying that unless you live in CA, you don’t know how to eat an artichoke. Now we do.
Dawn, let me know how they turn out for you. No mystery, you can eat the whole thing once you clean them!