Roman Jewish Ghetto Style Artichokes
If you ever make it to Rome, make sure you stop by Ristorante Piperno near the synagogue. They are known for their Jewish ghetto-style artichokes. Here's our guess at the recipe.
Ingredients
- 12 small artichokes
- 2 lemons
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 10 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cup matzoh meal, or as much is needed
Preparation
Trim the tops and bottoms of the chokes. Cut the lemons in half and squirt lemon juice all over the chokes to keep them from browning (plus they add great flavor).
Put the matzoh meal in a shallow bowl or on a plate-season with salt and pepper.
Combine 1/4 cup of EVOO, the basil, salt, pepper and garlic and mush into the artichokes. Roll the chokes or dip in the matzoh meal.
Pour three turns of the pan of EVOO into a non-stick frying pan and put it on the stove on medium-high heat. Fry the artichokes on all sides in the oil for 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can omit this step and instead fill a high-sided pan with 1-inch of water, put the chokes in the water standing up, and cover to steam for 20 minutes.
