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Carciofini sott'olio
Baby artichokes in oil
Carciofini sott'olio: southern Italy's baby artichokes cooked in vinegar and kept in oil
In spring, when the small, tender artichokes flood the markets of Puglia, Campania and Sicily, families sit together to trim crates of them and put them up in jars for the year, to be served with salami and cheese as an antipasto or stirred into pasta. They are first boiled briefly in vinegar, then dried and packed in olive oil with herbs. Our home version keeps the jar in the fridge for safety. Chef's tip: let the cooked artichokes dry upside down on a cloth for several hours, ideally overnight; any water left inside spoils the oil.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 20 small young artichokesabout 1.2 kg
- 2 lemonshalved
- 3 ¼ cups white wine vinegarat least 6% acidity
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 dried chilliopt
- 2 cups olive oilto cover
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Fill a bowl with water and squeeze in 2 lemons. Pull off the tough outer leaves of 20 small young artichokes until you reach the pale ones, trim the tops and peel the stalks. Cut large ones in half and drop them into the lemon water as you go.
Step 2: Bring 3 ¼ cups white wine vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 tbsp salt to the boil. Add the artichokes and simmer for 5–8 minutes, until a knife slides in with a little resistance. Common mistake: cooking them soft; they go mushy in the jar.
8 minStep 3: Drain and stand them upside down on a clean tea towel to dry for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Step 4: Pack into clean sterilised jars with 2 bay leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 dried chilli, if using. Pour in 2 cups olive oil to cover by 1 cm, tapping out air bubbles.
Step 5: Close and keep in the fridge. Eat within 2 weeks, always using a clean spoon and topping up with oil. Bring to room temperature before serving so the oil turns liquid.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carciofini sott'olio take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of lemons?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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