The artichokes are one of the most traditional dishes of Rome, the pride of this kitchen, very loved and appreciated by all.
The secret is in the area of the artichoke, the violets quality, very tender that allows a perfect cooking for the soft and entirely edible artichoke. To cook the artichokes you need few ingredients but of fundamental importance, in particular as regards the quality of the artichokes, which must be of the “Roman”, which must soften during cooking to be totally edible, unlike for example of other qualities such as used to be roasted in Campania.
This is also the means of a la romana, which indicate that those artichokes are made in the Roman way, as they are cooked only in Rome, where are very famous and part of the traditional cuisine since many centuries.
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ARTICHOKES A LA ROMANA
Instructions
Great care should be taken in cleaning the artichokes, essential to achieve a soft and savory food. Once cleaned, you will have the artichoke sized half volume of that uncleaned.
Eliminate all of the external leaves (1) until you reach the more internal and softer. Then they cut the hard tops of the leaves (2), at the half of the artichoke circa, and then cut off the stalk (3) and leave aside. Repeat the process and put the artichokes in a pot.
Now take a bowl of cold water and put it on the table. Cut the lemon into four quarters and rub well each artichoke with the lemon (4). Once you rub all artichokes, squeeze the lemon in the water (5), and then soak the artichokes (6) in the bowl.
Now take the stems and cut the external part (7), that very hard, and keep the soft one. Rub with lemon (8) and them put together with artichokes in the water (9).
Begin to season the artichokes for cooking. Take a little bit of salt on the fingers and started to rub it (10) on each artichoke. So take the garlic cloves and cut into quarters. With your thumb open the center of the artichoke to put one or two pieces of garlic (11), depending on size, and even a few leaves of parsley and mint (12).
Then sprinkle with black pepper (13) and repeat this for each artichoke.
Now take a clay pot for cooking the artichokes. Pour plenty of oil, even six or seven tablespoons (14), because the secret of good cooking, in addition to using the clay pot, it is precisely the use of plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Heat up and put the artichokes and the stems (15) to make them cook over very low heat. Cooking times vary according to season and the ripening of the artichoke, then by her tenderness. An average time is usually about 40 minutes but in some cases the cooking may take up to an hour. Once ready let them rest for about half an hour before serving.
Recipe Notes
The artichokes are one of the most typical dishes of the Capitoline kitchen, easy to prepare but only if you provide the right quality.
