Stuffed Artichokes

This dish takes artichokes to a new extreme. One day I saw a picture of a stuffed artichoke in a food magazine. I cannot remember which one, considering we have subscriptions to about five food magazines at our house. If you cannot already tell you are entering a house of foodies by our stuffed fridge and pantry, our beautiful kitchen, filled with every cooking tool you can imagine, or the fact that there is always someone in there eating; you will find food magazines covering every coffee table and several counters around the house. So… as I was saying, I do not remember which magazine sparked my interest in stuffed artichokes, but one day last year I decided to write this recipe. 

I love eating whole artichokes but get bored simply dipping them in butter or salad dressing. These artichokes can be eaten without a dip. They are steamed in flavorful water so that the artichoke meat is tasty. On top of that, each leaf you pull off will be covered in a savory, chunky mixture. They are delicious and fun to eat. 

Just know when serving these that they are much heartier than traditional artichokes and will be fairly filling. If serving as an appetizer, make sure your main course is small or light. When I cooked this recipe, I made two for a table of four to share before dinner. 

Makes 4 artichokes

-4 whole Artichokes (generally one per person, adjust recipe accordingly) 

-2 cups of white wine

-1 cup water

-1 lemon

-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 

-Four slices of prosciutto or jamon serano 

-4 plum tomatoes, chopped into small cubes 

-3/4 cup of grated Parmesan 

-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves

-3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil leaves 

-2 tablespoons capers, drained & chopped

Cut off the tops of the artichokes and snip off the extra sharp tips. Cut off stems. Gently pull on the leaves to widen the spaces between them. 

Fill large pot with wine, 1 cup of water, juice from one half of lemon, and pinch of salt. Place artichokes face down into the liquid, cover and boil for 35 minutes.

In a pan add olive oil and heat over medium flame. Fry up prosciutto and garlic for about 5 minutes until the garlic is golden and prosciutto is slightly crispy. 

In a bowl add tomatoes, Parmesan, fresh herbs, capers, prosciutto garlic mixture, other lemon half and a pinch of lemon zest. Mix together

When artichokes are finished, pull out and allow them to cool for a minute. When they have cooled a bit, use a spoon to scoop tomato mixture in between leaves. Be careful as not to burn yourself. 

Place artichokes-stems down- in the pot. Put heat on low and cook for 8 minutes. The cheese will melt and the flavors from the herbs and capers will release into the artichoke. 

Allow them to cool briefly and serve.