Artichoke hearts stuffed with a mixture of herbs, anchovy fillets, parmesan and breadcrumbs are served with lemon, rocket, green olives, and a dash of extra virgin olive oil for a splendid, traditional Roman side dish.
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 8 mint leaves, chopped coarsely
- 2 anchovy fillets, chopped finely
- ¼ cup (20 g) finely grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (35 g) fresh breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (125ml) white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 100 g rocket leaves
- 20 green olives
- Extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges, to serve
Steps
To prepare the artichokes, remove and discard outer leaves until you see the yellow-green base. Trim the top of the artichoke by about one-third and discard. Remove the stem and discard.
Cut the artichokes in half lengthways. Using a teaspoon, remove the hairy choke from the centre and discard. As you go, place the prepared artichoke hearts in a bowl of acidulated water (cold water with lemon juice added). This will prevent the artichokes from browning.
Combine the herbs, anchovy fillets, parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fill the artichoke cavities with the mixture.
Press the artichoke halves back together again. Put the artichoke halves, top-side up, into a saucepan large enough to fit them snugly. Add the wine, bay leaf and 1/2 cup boiling water to the saucepan. Cover with a piece of wet baking paper and then place a lid on the saucepan.
Bring to the boil over a medium heat, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until artichokes are tender.
Serve with rocket, green olives, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges.