Stuffed Artichokes {Recipe}

Stuffed Artichokes recipe from Knack Vegetable Cookbook: Savory Gourmet Recipes Made Easy by Mary Beth Crain

Stuffed Artichokes. Photo credit: Peter Ardito and Susan Byrnes, Ardito & Byrnes Photography

Author Mary Beth Crain on Stuffed Artichokes:

Artichokes are stuffed with meat, cheese, and rice, drizzled with white wine, and baked to delectable perfection. These stuffed artichokes make a perfect luncheon entree. You might serve them with French onion soup, a tossed green salad, rolls, and a light dessert. For dinner, the stately old Gourmets Menu Cookbook from 1963 suggests the following menu: Minestrone, Bread Sticks, Veal Scallops with Lemon, Stuffed Artichokes and Plum Milk Sherbet. Ooh la la!

Dee {Cooks&Books&Recipes}:

The Recipe

OK, we admit it: we’ve never cooked an artichoke. Actually, we haven’t even eaten a whole artichoke since too long ago to admit publicly. So when it came to this recipe, we actually had to go online to find out exactly what the hairy choke was. Sure, it looks like the name sounds, but without the photos, we likely would’ve cut out the heart (the best part) too. The rest of the process, though not exactly quick, was certainly easy.

The Result

Ooh la la indeed! We’re not vegetarians, which is probably why we loved this. With a stuffing that includes ham, sausage, and bacon, what’s not to love? Even so, the meats were not too heavy, and with a simple butter lettuce & herb salad and a glass of white wine, this was an ideal dinner for a hot summer night. A plus was that our version looked just as elegant in presentation as the official photo in the book. As an alternative, we’re thinking that the next time we prepare this for ourselves, we’ll cut the artichoke in half, as shown in The Italian Dish (April 6, 2010). Though not the usual way we’ve seen stuffed artichokes, this method should make it easier to get to both the wonderfully meaty stuffing and the tender artichoke.

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Stuffed Artichokes

Featured Recipe From: Knack Vegetable Cookbook: Savory Gourmet Recipes Made Easy

The stuffed artichokes can be prepared in advance and reheated before serving. Leftover stuffing keeps for up to two weeks in the refrigerator and longer in the freezer.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• ¾ cup diced ham
• ¾ cup chopped sausage meat
• 6 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• 6 fresh Roma or similar-size tomatoes, diced
• ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 ½ cups cooked rice
• ½ cup grated Gruyere or Emmental cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 6 medium artichokes, chokes removed
• Dry white wine
• 3 slices uncooked bacon

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Lightly brown the onion and garlic followed by the ham, sausage, and mushrooms. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until liquid has cooked down. Remove from the heat and mix well with the rice, cheese, basil, and parsley. Prepare the Artichokes Wash the artichokes and drain upside down to dry. Cut the stems straight across, leaving a level base so the artichokes will stand upright. Remove the tough outer leaves at the base and cut about 1⁄2 inch off the tips of the remaining leaves. With a sharp knife, slice the top of the artichokes straight across, taking off about 1 inch. Parboil the artichokes for 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat, rinse under cold water, drain in a colander, and cool before stuffing. Stuff the Artichokes Pull out and discard the yellow prickly leaves in the center of the artichokes and scrape out the hairy choke. Spread the leaves and place enough filling in the center to be gently mounded. Tuck some filling between the spread leaves as well. Drizzle some dry white wine over the filling to moisten it. Close the leaves gently and arrange the artichokes close together in the baking dish. Top each with half a bacon slice. Bake in a buttered glass baking dish at 400°F for 30–40 minutes.

© 2010 Morris Book Publishing Reprinted with permission from Knack Vegetable Cookbook: Savory Gourmet Recipes Made Easy, by Mary Beth Crain (Globe Pequot Press)

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