Roman-Style Artichokes: The Original Recipe – Eat Like a Roman

Roman Style Artichokes are a classic appetizer and side dish of Capitoline cuisine, of peasant in Italy origin. The uniqueness of this dish lies both in the quality of the artichoke and in its cooking, strictly upside down. The artichoke used is the so-called Romanesco (also called mammola).

Ingredients:

For the Artichokes:

• 4 large globe artichokes
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
• Warm water (enough to cover half the artichoke head)
• Fine salt, to taste

For Cleaning the Artichokes:

• 2 lemons
• Water, as needed

How to clean the Artichokes

1. First arm yourself with two lemons; artichokes tend to blacken your hands due to oxidizing agents, and turn black once cleaned. So to start, split a lemon and rub one half all over your hands, keep the other half aside that you will use to scrub the artichokes. Then fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of a whole lemon into it.
2. Now start flaking the artichoke, gently pulling off the leaves starting from the bottom.
3. You will need to get all the way to the heart, which is the most tender part of the artichoke, then remove the dark, tough outer leaves.
4. Using a small knife, clean the base of the head of the leaves and trim the stem by stripping it of the toughest outer part, then cut it off (leaving just a small piece attached to the artichoke) and keep it aside: the stems are good to eat and should cook along with the artichokes!
5. For an even more painstaking job, you should stick the tip of the small knife into the base of the head and turn it all the way around to suction them so you get a rose. It takes some practice and manual dexterity, but don’t worry, it’s okay to clean them this way too.
6. Spread the artichoke rose out slightly so as to make room for the topping. Mammolas have no thorns or stubble, but if you are using violet artichokes, you will need to remove them by helping yourself with a teaspoon.
7. Rub the artichoke well with lemon, head and stem, and soak it in the bowl with water and lemon. As you clean the other artichokes, repeat the same operation.

How to make the mince to flavor the Roman Style Artichokes

1. Finely chop the parsley with a knife by setting over a cutting board (do not use a blender). Same for the garlic clove and mint. Once finely chopped, mix them together.
2. Take an artichoke, drain it well from the water and blot it with paper towels, then rub it with a little fine salt both inside and out. Take a tiny bit of the mince and stuff the inside, passing it through the rose leaves as well.
3. Continue in the same way with the other artichokes.

Cooking the artichokes:

1. Roman style artichokes should be cooked strictly upside down, initially sautéing in plenty of extra virgin olive oil, then stewing slowly with the addition of water. Some people also put white wine, the original recipe does not call for it, I don’t like it but you can put it if you like it.
2. Another important thing is the choice of pot: best to use a high-sided pan, also because cooking needs a lid, and if you use a shallow pot you will bend the stem.
3. Pour plenty of oil in the bottom of the saucepan (for 4 medium artichokes pour about 120 g, but you can serenely go by feel).
4. Heat the oil, then place the artichokes upside down, browning them for a few minutes over high heat (also add the stems you cut earlier).
5. Now add lukewarm water to half the artichoke heads, lower the heat and cover, letting it cook for about 20-30 minutes.
6. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the artichokes; consider that the sauce should reduce considerably and the artichokes should be very soft to the fork.
7. While cooking, lift the lid and move the casserole slightly, but do not touch the artichokes.
8. As soon as the artichokes are ready, serve them piping hot in a serving dish, also scooping out the remaining sauce with a spoon.

Bon Appetit!