NONNA'S STUFFED ARTICHOKES

MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED THIS RECIPE down to my Mother and I make them when I have the time or inclination to sit and stuff leaves. This is definitely a job that should be done sitting down, unless you want a stiff neck, of course!

CARCIOFI RIPIENI

Artichokes are one of those things that spring to mind when I think of Rome. I say Rome because the Romans are famous for their green thistles. In Italy, they are definitely a seasonal vegetable reserved for the winter months, which because of their round and abundant character seems fitting. Unlike the Romans, though, we can have ours year round. They are a very old vegetable and date back as far as the Egyptians and the Greeks. They are part of a family of plants which include the even more elusive and hard-to-find Cardoon (another delicious vegetable resembling celery once peeled and trimmed.) A bit of interesting etymology from a scholarly friend who speaks a multitude of languages and knows his Greek!

In Greek carciofi sono ἀγκινάρες 

cardoons = ἀγριαγκινάρες wild artichokes or field (campestres) artichokes…

Carciofo comes from the Arabic al-Kharshouf (accent on last syllable), which itself is probably of Persian origin.

No doubt the word came into Italian through Sicily…

The Arabs in the Levant call them Ardishauki, which is a back-formation of the French version of the word: artichauts. 

Interestingly the Arabic element -shauki in “ardichauki” means spiny, thorny or prickly

Spanish: alcachofas (dialect: alcarchofas)

Portuguese: alcachofras

The English version is from the French; the final element was probably changed to -choke — example of the operation of “folk etymology”  — or it could have come from an alternative version of the French.

Many people eat their artichokes boiled with Hollandaise or with clarified butter or with vinaigrette, or even Bagna Cauda (which is truly delicious) but in Sicily, we stuff them and they are a thing of beauty as the photograph below attests.

You have to cook the artichokes before stuffing. It's very simple. Cut off the stems so the artichoke can stand up straight - this is the only time I ever cut the stems because I find them to be the most delicious part of all. Sweet and succulent with great meaty texture!

Serves 4 or can serve 8 if you share.

4 GLOBE ARTICHOKES

Cut the stem off at the base, tear away any unsightly leaves from the bottom of the choke and trim each leaf with a scissors. Take a sharp knife or cleaver and slice off the top in one fell swoop so it is flat and no pointy leaves remain. Rub the artichoke with lemon juice from a fresh lemon and put in a bowl of cold water. When you've finished trimming all the artichokes, put the artichokes in a large pot of boiling salted water and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes. Test the leaves for doneness. If they pull out easily, they are done. Drain, rinse in cold water and let cool. Turn them upside down and gently squeeze any excess water out of the chokes and place upside down on a large plain to drain. You can do this a day ahead and chill them before stuffing.

STUFFING

1 stick butter

1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 green pepper (or any color actually) seeded and chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped celery

2 Golden Delicious Apples (peeled, seeded and diced)

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (with dried herbs such as basil, oregano, etc.)

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup Pine Nuts

1/2 cup Raisins

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

16 basil leaves cut in chiffonade

Put the oil and half the butter in a large frying pan and sauté  the onions, garlic, celery and green pepper over medium high heat until translucent. Add the apples and continue to sauté until the apples soften a bit. Add the bread crumbs and the cheese and continue to fry, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Cut the rest of the butter into small pieces and add that as well as the nuts (Pine Nuts are expensive, I know; but, no other nut will do), the raisins, thyme and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring until the breading browns to a deep golden color. The apples should melt into the dressing transforming the breading into a moist mass.

When the breading is cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely (overnight is good). If stuffed while still warm, bacteria may grow and there goes dinner!

When you are ready to stuff the chokes, open up the center of the artichoke and remove the center leaves hidden from sight. There should be a deep well in which you will place the  stuffing until it is completely filled to the top. This is where I sit down to finish the job. Take a small demitasse spoon and begin spooning the dressing into each leaf starting from the top and working you way around and down to the very bottom of the artichoke. There should be a fair amount of breading mixture packed into each leaf.

There are two schools of thought on finishing the artichoes: The first version is simply placing them on a clean plate after you've stuffed the artichokes. The other is placing the stuffed artichokes in a deep pan with a very shallow water bath of boiling water and steaming them for 5-10 minutes. This moistens the stuffing and finishes the cooking process. Let cool, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (preferable overnight). Before serving, take them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Serve as a first course or among assorted antipasti.

Buon appetito!