Roman artichokes: cooked and ready to eat.
Prepared artichokes in water acidulated with lemon juice.
Carciofi alla Romana: ahhh, something of true beauty - and tastes even better.
There's nothing like being in Italy for artichoke season. The markets are packed with many varieties and women sit on boxes preparing them so that the Italian cook can take them home and put them straight into the pot.
The other delight for me is that 'Roman artichoke' appears on every menu - and of course I order it every time! Roman artichoke is a typical Roman dish where the artichokes are braised in olive oil, dry white wine, water, lemon and fresh herbs. The result is tender, moist and delicious.
I can't take the credit for cooking these beautiful artichokes - this is Dr H's passion. He loves to cook artichokes in all kinds of ways but has a special fondness for Roman artichokes. He likes to tweak the traditional recipe, as he is known to do, and on this occasion has used his own special mix of home grown and dried herbs [courtesy of a friend of his mothers].
Preparation of the artichokes:
1. Starting at the bottom, pull off the tough outer leaves until you reach the tighter centre of the artichoke, which is a lighter green in colour.
2. Cut at least 1/3 of the top of the artichoke and discard.
3. Trim the length and outside of the stem and the base of the artichoke with a paring knife.
4. Put in acidulated water. Place an inverted plate on top of the artichoke/s to ensure they stay submerged in the water.
Roman artichokes [Carciofi alla Romana]:
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped mint
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt
pepper
3/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup water
[* The amounts for the oil and wine can be adjusted of course to suit your dietary needs/preferences. These amounts approximate the traditional braising liquid]
lemon juice to taste [inc. zest if you want a stronger lemon flavour]
1. Mix the parsley, mint, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper
2. Rub into the cut side of the artichokes, pushing the rub down between the leaves
3. Choose a pot that isn't too big - you need one that will hold the artichokes close together while they cook. Mix the remaining liquids in the pot and put the artichokes in upside down, so their stems are sticking out of the cooking liquid [we have cooked them lying on their sides and find this works just as well, particularly if the stems are thick as they tend not to over-cook]
4. Cover pot and cook on a low simmer until tender - about an hour [depends on the type/age of the artichoke]
5. Lovely eaten hot or cold
Remember to remove the choke [the fibrous, bristly and prickly part in the very centre], especially if you've cooked older artichokes as the choke will be larger. You can remove the choke by scraping it out with a teaspoon before you cook it or after cooking, which I think is easier. Young artichokes have very little choke or none at all. If it's present, it will be very soft and edible.
It's very important not to eat the mature choke as it's a choking hazard [hence it's name?]. I'm not sure why anyone would even be tempted to eat it. It has an awful texture and is completely unappealing!
House-made pumpkin and amaretti ravioli
A very nice night out at the Crosstown Eating House in my favourite precinct of Wooloongabba. The menu offers some more than one choice for vegetarians and we all liked the sharing plates. I especially enjoyed the pan fried haloumi with beetroot, quinoa, lemon and almond - really delicious.
