Photo by Tim Nauman Photography
When stuffing artichokes, choose whatever is in season and whatever you love — feel free to experiment. Here are the basic steps, along with some flavor combinations to get you drooling.
Classic Italian Stuffing:
Breadcrumbs, capers, anchovies, hot peppers, garlic, onions, parsley, Parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper.
Classic Mediterranean Stuffing:
Olives, sun-dried tomatoes, sheep’s milk cheese (try Green Dirt Farm’s Woolly Rind), pine nuts, lemon, basil, salt, pepper.
Bacon and Garlic Lovers:
Weave thin strips of bacon and slivers of garlic throughout the leaves, then fill the center with sautéed mushrooms and shallots.
Trim your artichokes according to the instructions here: How to Cook an Artichoke and Many Ways to Eat ’Em. Then cut or scrape out the choke in the center, and rub the artichoke all over with a cut lemon. Gently pull the leaves a little bit away from the center all the way around, and set the artichokes in a baking dish filled with an inch of flavorful stock (I like chicken stock for this). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and pack the stuffing between the leaves, down into the center and into all the empty spaces. Tent the pan with foil. Bake for 45 minute to an hour, or until a leaf pulls away easily. Remove foil, top each stuffed artichoke with grated cheese, then broil for a couple of minutes and serve immediately.
See also:Tips for Cooking Artichokes
