Family Heirloom
Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes
My mother, Josephine, learned to make these wonderful stuffed artichokes from her mother-in-law, Rachela. The heart of the artichoke is especially delicious. As the youngest child, my sisters would bribe me with a quarter to give them my artichoke heart ! I always said no. These are best prepared and eaten in the springtime, when they are in season.
Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes
Ingredients
- 6 large artichokes
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
- 4 tablespoons Pecorino Romano grated cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves and cutting off the stems at the base. Place the artichokes in cold lemon water while you continue cleaning.
Remove the artichokes from the water and drain on paper towels.
Hold the artichokes at the bottom and firmly hit the tops on the counter to loosen and separate their leaves.
Mix all the remaining ingredients together except for the olive oil.
Gently stuff each artichoke between the leaves and on top with the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure each artichoke gets at least 3-4 slices of garlic.
Place the artichokes in 1 inch of boiling, salted water. Drizzle the olive oil on top.
Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes until a single leaf can be removed easily. During the cooking process, you may baste the artichokes with cooking liquid to keep them moist.
