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Carciofi alla romana
Roman braised artichokes with mint, parsley and garlic
Every spring, from February to April, Roman market stalls pile up round, thornless romanesco artichokes (cimaroli), and trattorie serve them alla romana: stuffed with wild mint, parsley and garlic and braised stem-up in oil and water until meltingly soft. They are eaten warm or at room temperature as a contorno, often next to their crisp cousins, carciofi alla giudia. Any large globe artichoke works at home. Chef's tip: braise them upside down, stems in the air and tightly packed, so the hearts sit in the liquid and the stems steam to the same tenderness.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in half the 1 lemon. Keep the squeezed half to rub on cut surfaces as you work.
Step 2: Snap off the tough outer leaves of each of 4 large globe artichokes until you reach pale yellow-green leaves. Cut off the top third. Trim the stem to 5 cm and peel it back to the pale core. Rub with lemon and drop into the water.
Step 3: Gently open the centre of each artichoke with your thumbs and scoop out any fuzzy choke with a teaspoon. Common mistake: leaving tough leaves on; if a leaf is green and fibrous at the base, it will still be stringy after cooking.
Step 4: Mix ½ oz fresh mint, ½ oz flat-leaf parsley, 2 cloves garlic, half the 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Step 5: Drain the artichokes, push the herb mixture into the centres and between the leaves, and rub a little over the outside.
Step 6: Stand them upside down, stems up, in a pan that just holds them. Pour in the rest of ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and enough water to come a third of the way up. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt.
Step 7: Cover with a lid (or damp paper and a lid) and cook over a low heat for 20–25 minutes, until a skewer slides into the heart and stem with no resistance and most of the water has gone, leaving a herby oil.
25 minStep 8: Leave to rest for 10 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature, spooning the oil over.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carciofi alla romana take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of fresh mint?
- Fresh coriander, same amount (different but just as fresh).
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