Best Stuffed Baby Artichokes Izmir Style Recipes

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into a large pot of cold water; add the squeezed lemon halves and the whole garlic. Cut off the top quarter of each artichoke and discard. Use a small sharp knife to trim the stem of the artichokes. Starting at the base, bend the tough outer leaves back and snap off where they break naturally, leaving the tender inner leaves. Trim the outside of the base until no dark green areas remain. Cut the artichokes in half and then into quarters. Cut out the fibrous choke and small purple-tipped leaves. Submerge the artichoke quarters in the lemon water. Cover and boil until the artichokes are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain. Set the artichoke quarters aside to cool to room temperature.
• Mix together lemon juice, herbs, garlic, lemon peel, capers, bread, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Arrange artichokes, cut side up, on 2 platters. Spoon the tomato mixture into the center of the artichoke quarters, dividing equally. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with the parsley sprigs and serve.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the stems from the artichokes to leave a neat, flat base. Lay each artichoke on its side, and cut away the upper third with a sharp knife. With kitchen shears, remove the prickly leaf tips from each remaining leaf. Rub the cut sides and bottom with a lemon slice, squeezing lemon juice onto the cut areas and set aside.
• Place the prepared artichokes, lemon slices, crab boil and bay leaves in the boiling water and simmer, partially covered, until the bottom is tender and can be pierced with a sharp knife and an outer leaf pulls out easily, about 25 minutes.
• Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• To the onion pan, add the garlic and oregano and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, lemon zest, Parmesan, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Mix well and adjust seasonings with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Drain the artichokes upside down in a colander.
• When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, press the leaves gently back so that the artichoke opens to reveal the inner choke and prickly leaves. Pull out the cone of undeveloped white leaves and gently scrape out the choke with a spoon so as not to damage the heart. Gently pull the leaves outward from the center until the leaves open slightly.
• Fill the artichoke cavities with bread stuffing, and pack a little bit into the space between the leaves.
• Place the artichokes in an earthenware baking dish and drizzle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Pour 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the dish and place in oven. Bake until the artichokes are golden brown and the bread crumbs develop a nice crust, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving plate, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some grated Parmesan. Serve with additional lemon wedges.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, anchovy, chile flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a large bowl. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon into the bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemon in a small bowl with the oil, then drizzle the lemon juice mixture into the breadcrumb mixture and mix with a fork until well combined and the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the Parmesan and set aside until ready to use.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and drop in the lemon halves. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off all but 1/2-inch of the stem. Use a serrated knife to slice about 1 inch off of the top. Use kitchen shears to trim the point off each leaf, removing 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Use your fingers to gently pull open the center leaves of the artichoke then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the fuzzy choke in the middle. (Note that removing the choke takes some effort and will make eating the final product much more enjoyable.) Submerge the cleaned artichoke in the lemon water to prevent browning and repeat with the remaining artichokes.
• Working with one artichoke at a time, remove from the water and use a clean kitchen towel to pat dry. Gently pull apart the leaves on each layer and stuff with the breadcrumbs over the bowl to avoid a mess, pressing lightly as you stuff (you will use about 2/3 cup stuffing per artichoke). Gently set the stuffed artichoke in a 9-by-9-inch casserole dish (do not use glass) or a large cast-iron skillet, standing it up on the flat stem if possible, or gently resting on the side if not. Note that you will want the artichokes to be snug in the dish to remain upright during baking. Repeat with the remaining artichokes and breadcrumbs.
• Pour the wine and 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the pan. Slice the remaining lemon into rounds and nestle them into the liquid. Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake until the artichokes leaves are tender and can be easily pulled off, 60 to 75 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and increase the temperature to 500 degrees F.
• Remove the foil and return the dish to the oven. Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the dish with tongs and place onto a serving plate. Serve with the cooking liquid lemon slices.

STUFFED BABY ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Quarter the lemon and squeeze the juice into a medium bowl of water; add the squeezed lemon quarters. One at a time, cut off the top one-quarter of each artichoke; pull off the tough outer leaves (there will be several layers). Using a paring knife, trim the stem and lightly peel around the bottom of the base where it meets the stem. Halve the artichokes lengthwise and add to the lemon water.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the artichokes, pat dry and place cut-side down in the skillet; add the lemon quarters. Add the 2 smashed garlic cloves and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the artichokes soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, then add 1 cup water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the artichokes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover and remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved lemon zest and the grated garlic and cook, stirring constantly, about 20 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Transfer the artichokes cut-side up to a platter and season lightly with salt. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ITALIAN BABY STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Take baby artichokes and trim off top and bottoms. Snip sharp parts off artichoke with scissor. Make sure artichoke has a flat top after trimming is done. When all trimmed, transfer artichokes to pot of water with lemon juice, cover and boil for about 30-40 minutes. When fork tender, drain artichokes and cool. In the meantime, while artichokes are cooling, prepare stuffing. Add bread crumbs, both grated cheeses and minced garlic with 1/2 cup of olive oil and mix together. When cool, transfer artichokes to corning ware baking dish and stuff with mixtures. Add last 1/2 cup of olive oil to top of artichokes, add two cups of water to top of artichokes and bottom of dish, cover with aluminum foil and cook in oven on 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Take aluminum off and cook or broil on LOW on lower part of oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up.

THE BEST STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Cut top 1/4 of an artichoke off and discard. Trim off the top 1/2 inch from remaining leaves. Cut off bottom inch from stalk to create a flat bottom. Turn artichoke upside down and bang on surface to loosen the leaves. Zest 3/4 teaspoon of lemon zest from the lemon and set aside. Cut lemon in half and rub cut leaves and stem of artichoke with lemon. Repeat artichoke prep with remaining artichokes.
• Combine reserved lemon zest with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and stir well.
• Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly into all the artichoke leaves, avoiding the thistle leaves in the direct center. Work mixture evenly into each crevice of each artichoke until all of the mixture is used.
• Pour water in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Add remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Set artichokes in the pot so that they are touching, so that they may remain upright during cooking. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the leaves release very easily, about 1 hour.
• Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more parsley if desired. Serve warm or room temperature.

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.

STUFFED BABY ARTICHOKES, IZMIR STYLE

Steps:

• Wash the rice in several changes of water; drain. Place in a small bowl and cover with very hot water. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine 6 cups cold water, the juice of 1 1/2 lemons, 1 teaspoon salt and the flour. Gently smack each artichoke on the edge of a hard surface to open up the leaves. Remove the tough outer leaves and cut off the spiky tips of the remaining ones. Cut off the stems so the artichokes will stand upright. Remove any hard surfaces around each base with a vegetable peeler. Spread open the inner leaves and use a melon baller to scoop out the choke in the center. Place the artichoke in the water mixture as you finish each one.
• Drain the rice and combine with the scallions, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the dill, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Drain the artichokes and reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid. Spread open the artichoke leaves and stuff the cavity of each one with the filling.
• Place the onion in the center of a deep 9-inch nonreactive skillet with a tightly fitting lid or a round flameproof casserole with lid. Surround the onion with the artichokes, fava beans and carrots.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, the remaining sugar, the reserved 1/2 cup liquid and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and pour over the artichokes. Crumple and wet a 12-inch square piece of parchment paper and lay it directly over the artichokes.
• Top with an inverted, heatproof plate that just fits inside the pan. Place over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Pour 1 cup of boiling water down the inside of the pan. Boil vigorously for 1 minute. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook slowly until the artichokes are very tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside, still covered, until the artichokes are completely cool, about 3 to 4 hours.
• Discard the onion. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the artichokes, favas and carrots to a shallow serving dish. Spoon some of the cooking juices over them, garnish with the dill and lemon wedges and serve.