Roman-style artichokes (carciofi alla romana)

This vegetarian dish is a true emblem of Roman cuisine. These artichokes are served as starter or “antipasto” in many restaurants in the Italian capital, but Romans often eat them as a salty snack, often as a filling for focaccia. This recipe was traditionally considered the poor variant, unlike “carciofi alla giudia”, which are fried in extra virgin olive oil, a prohibitive ingredient in past times.

The only difficulty this recipe presents is cleaning the artichokes. To do this, first prepare a bowl with water and squeeze the lemon inside. We do this to prevent the artichoke from oxidizing.

Then start to clean the each artichoke: cut the outer part of the stem, so as to reach the lighter colored central part (which is the most tender). Then cut it in such a way as to leave about 5 cm of stem on each artichoke. Then discard the tougher outer leaves and cut the edges around the base, so as to smooth it out. Cut the tip of the artichoke to about a little less than halfway up the leaves (that tip of the flower is hard and prickly). Open the center of the flower and remove the “beard” that covers the heart with a coffee spoon. Immediately immerse it in the bowl and cover with kitchen paper soaked in the lemon water. In this way, the entire artichoke will be protected from contact with air.

Then chop the mint, parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Fill each artichoke with the aromatic mixture and place them face down in a pot. It should be of a size that allows all the artichokes to be placed together without them moving. To firm and hold them, we can add in between the stems that we had previously cut.

Add extra virgin olive oil to cover approximately 1 cm of the artichokes and heat over low heat. When you hear the typical sound of them starting to fry, add hot water until the heart is completely covered. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the carciofi alla romana are very tender.

Tips and tricks:

1. It’s possible to replace to water (or part of it) with white wine.
2. “Mammole” artichokes are typically used in Rome for this recipe. In the absence of them, any type of artichoke will do, although it is advisable to choose the largest ones, since the size will be considerably reduced after the outer leaves are discarded.