Jewish style artichokes
This recipe originated in Rome and is basically a deeply fried artichoke. Especially suited for this dish are the Artichokes of the Romanesco (del Lazio PGI) variety, which are harvested between February and April in the coastal region between Ladispoli and Civitavecchia, northwest of Rome. They are a specialty of the Roman Ghetto, where Jewish restaurants prepare them each year during spring.
The artichokes should be cleaned with a sharp knife, removing all the hard leaves with a spiral movement. Then they are beaten one against the other till they will be open.
After putting the artichokes for 15-30 minutes in water with lemon juice, they are seasoned with salt and pepper and deep fried in extra virgin olive oil (also abbr. evo).
The last touch consists in sprawling some drop of cold water on the frying artichokes in order to make the leaves crispy. At the end they look like little golden sunflowers and their leaves have a nutty crunchiness. They are eaten warm.
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Ingredients
- 8 artichokes “Romanesco” type
- 1 lemon
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Directions
- Remove the outer hard leaves from the artichokes and cut the stem to about 10 cm, peeling off the harder part of the skin.
- Remove the hairy core and trim the top of the artichoke with a knife.
- Soak the artichokes in water and lemon juice to avoid them darkening.
- Rinse and dry.
- Beat the artichokes on the table keeping them upside down, so that the flower opens taking care not to break the stem.
- After seasoning, place the artichokes upside down in a frying pan filled with enough olive oil to allow them to float.
- When the outer parts start darkening, sprinkle water with the tips of your fingers (being careful not to burn yourself) into the oil in order to render the artichoke leaves crispy.
- Serve hot.
Wine pairing suggestion
Frascati DOC Superiore or Colli Albani DOC
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