Artichokes are a typically Mediterranean vegetable. They have a lot of fibre, very few calories, have a mild diuretic effect and are very popular as they are detoxifying and help lower cholesterol.
These are just some of the beneficial properties of the artichoke, but here we are dealing with recipes, so let us now move on to the tastiest and most delicious recipes for artichokes.
The same premise applies to all recipes, the cleaning of the artichokes. The artichokes must be cleaned by removing the tougher outer leaves and cutting off the base of the artichoke and the tips. Then they are normally soaked for about half an hour in water to which you have added the juice of a lemon.
Artichokes in butter
Needed for the artichokes in butter
6 artichokes already cleaned and thinly sliced
grams 35 butter
grated Parmesan cheese and salt to taste
a glass of stock cube
Preparation of the artichokes in butter
In a rather large pan put the butter and when it has melted the chopped artichokes (which have been about 30 minutes in water and lemon). Adjust the salt, add the stock and with the lid on, simmer for about 40 minutes. Serve hot with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
Baked artichokes
Needed for the baked artichokes
8 artichokes
the juice of half a lemon
a tablespoon of chopped parsley
one garlic clove
4 chopped mint leaves
half a glass of white wine
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of the baked artichokes
Once the artichokes have been cleaned, the outer leaves removed and the base and tips cut off, leave them whole and to soak for half an hour in water with lemon juice.
Prepare the mixture to put inside the artichokes by mixing the chopped parsley with the garlic, mint leaves, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and put this mixture inside each artichoke. Place the artichokes in a baking dish with the bottoms facing downwards, taking care to use a baking dish that allows the artichokes to stand upright fairly tightly together.
Add oil to cover the entire surface of the baking dish, adjust the salt and place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes with the lid on. After 30 minutes add white wine and cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve hot.
Artichokes alla Giudia
Needed for the artichokes alla Giudia
8 artichokes (artichokes called mammole romanesche are ideal)
2 decilitres of olive oil
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of Carciofi alla Giudia
After preparing the artichokes as usual, put a little salt and pepper inside the artichokes. Heat the olive oil in a high-sided frying pan and when it is hot (take care that it does not smoke) put the artichokes next to each other so that they do not fall over and cook them for about 20 minutes, turning them from the bottom up halfway through cooking.
Remove the artichokes from the heat and allow them to cool. Once cool, adjust the salt and pepper, place the artichokes upside down and open the leaves like flowers. Bring the oil back to temperature and fry the artichokes once more, for a couple of minutes, pressing lightly on each one to make the leaves open up better. Remove the artichokes from the oil, dry them with paper towels and serve still hot.
Fried artichokes
Needed for the fried artichokes
6 cleaned artichokes cut and soaked in water and vinegar for half an hour
2 eggs
60 grams of grated Parmesan cheese
50 grams of flour
salt and pepper and enough seed oil
Preparation of fried artichokes
After preparing the artichokes as usual, cut them into wedges, normally 8 wedges per artichoke.
Prepare the batter by beating the two eggs, adding the grated Parmesan cheese, flour, salt and pepper.
Dip each artichoke wedge in the batter and fry in plenty of seed oil.
Serve hot after removing excess oil with paper towels.
Artichokes au gratin
Ingredients for artichokes au gratin
8 artichokes
40 grams of diced Fontina cheese
a tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of flour
a glass of milk
a 250 g packet of cream
grams 40 of butter
nutmeg, breadcrumbs, salt to taste
Preparing the artichokes au gratin
Prepare the artichokes in the usual way, cleaned, cut and soaked in water and vinegar.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the two tablespoons of flour, stirring well to avoid lumps, then add the milk first, then the cream, a sprinkling of nutmeg and adjust the salt.
Simmer for about ten minutes then add the diced fontina cheese and chopped parsley. When the fontina is melted, stuff the artichokes with this mixture, after opening them from the inside out to form a kind of pocket. Arrange the artichokes in a baking dish, spreading butter on the bottom, with high sides, using a baking tray that allows the artichokes to stick without falling over.
Sprinkle the artichokes with breadcrumbs and bake them in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Greek-style artichokes
Ingredients for Greek-style artichokes
8 artichokes
2 tablespoons parsley
1 clove of garlic
1 egg
60 g grated Parmesan cheese
2 onions
grams 180 of lamb meat
vegetable stock, olive oil, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of Greek-style artichokes
After preparing the artichokes i.e. cleaned, cut and soaked for half an hour in water and vinegar, cook them about 10 minutes in plenty of salted water.
Remove them from the water and set them aside.
In the meantime, prepare the stuffing by browning the finely chopped onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once golden brown, add the chopped garlic clove and parsley. Add the minced lamb meat and cook for about ten minutes. Add the beaten egg, a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs and the grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the inside of the artichokes with this mixture.
Place the artichokes in a high-sided baking dish, taking care to use a baking dish that allows the artichokes to stand upright without falling over. Sprinkle the artichokes with plenty of breadcrumbs.
Put about 20 decilitres i vegetable stock in the bottom of the baking dish and bake in a hot oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Serve hot.
Artichoke pasta
Ingredients for artichoke pasta
4 artichokes
400 g pasta (spaghetti or penne)
2 cloves of garlic
a tablespoon of chopped parsley
grams 50 of pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
half a glass of white wine
salt, pepper olive oil to taste
Preparing the artichoke pasta
Clean, remove the outer leaves, cut off the base and top of the artichokes and soak for about 20 minutes in water with lemon juice.
Remove from the water, dry and slice thinly.
In a frying pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, brown the garlic cloves (they must be removed once the preparation is finished). Add the sliced artichokes, chopped parsley and cook for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the white wine, allowing it to evaporate completely. Cook with the lid on for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water.
Season the pasta with the artichoke mixture, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese before serving hot.
Artichoke Risotto
Ingredients for artichoke risotto
300 g risotto rice (carnaroli type)
4 artichokes
grams 60 of butter
half an onion
half a glass of white wine
oil, salt, pepper and vegetable stock and parmesan cheese to taste
Preparing the artichoke risotto
Prepare the artichokes, remove the outer leaves, the stalk and cut off the top of the artichoke.
Cut the artichokes into 4 parts and soak them in water and lemon for about twenty minutes.
Meanwhile, fry half of the finely chopped onion in a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. When golden brown, add the artichokes, season with salt and pepper, add some vegetable stock and cook for about 15 minutes.
In a rather large pan, melt the butter, the remaining onion finely chopped and add the rice to toast it slightly. Add the white wine and let it evaporate completely. Add the stock a little at a time and halfway through cooking, after about 10 minutes add the artichokes cut into small pieces.
Cook for a further 10 minutes, gradually adding stock to prevent the rice from sticking. Once ready, serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a knob of butter.
