A speciality from Rome, these artichokes are crunchy and absolutely delicious !
Artichokes are now in season so I am thinking about my favourite ways to prepare them. This recipe, 'Carciofi alla Giudia', is a traditional one that goes back to 16th Century Rome. It was a speciality of the then Jewish quarter, hence the name 'giudea'.
Now it is a very sought-after dish and when you try them you will see why. The artichokes are fried twice, making them super- crunchy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside.
Early spring is the perfect season as the artichokes have not yet developed their inside ' beard'. The cleaning of the artichokes is a labour of love, but the result is really worth it.
You can serve them as a side dish with meat or fish or as part of an antipasto.
Calculate about 2-3 artichokes per person.
- Ingredients
- young artichokes
- 1-2 lemons
- 500 ml sunflower oil for frying
- salt and pepper to taste
remove the outer leaves of the artichoke until they become light in colour
with a sharp knife peel the stem and cut the top part of the artichoke
immediately rub the lemon over the artichoke, so that it does not go brown
heat the oil in a tall frypan on medium heat
add the artichokes, be carful not to crowd them and let them gently fry for about 10 minutes
when they start to colour lightly take them out and put them on paper towels
with a fork gently open them up from the center
now fry them again on higher heat, head down, until they are dark golden in colour, pushing them down so that they open up even more
let them stand on paper towels for a a minute, add salt and pepper to taste and serve
