Helena Papadopoulos & Ian Constas, Carciofi alla Romana
(Artichokes the Roman Way)
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized artichokes
- 2 small cloves of garlic
- 4-6 tb spoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 anchovies
- 1-2 glasses of dry white whine
- Fresh mint leaves (abundant)
- Ground black paper
- Salt (fleur de sel)
- 1 lemon
My husband is half Italian and he travels to Rome at least once a month. The flight from Athens is quite short so sometimes he will pick-up fresh pasta or vegetables from the market in Rome and we will cook them the same evening in Athens. In the spring, you see artichokes everywhere in Rome—in every single restaurant, as decoration, in the market where they can also clean them for you. There are several ways to cook them, the simplest being to drop them whole in salty water, boil to taste, then dip the leaves in olive oil and eat the soft part as you are sipping a nice glass of wine. What is special about the Artichokes the Roman Way is the addition of anchovies, and above all, the fresh mint leaves. Artichokes are delicious; they are not a vegetable strictly speaking, they are a type of thistle (Cynara cardunculus) and in the Mediterranean they have been used for centuries for their medicinal properties. In greek they are called: AGGINARES (αγγινάρες).
Instructions
- Clean and prepare the artichokes, remove the hard leaves, smooth out and cut the bottom part of the stem. Using a serrated knife cut off top of artichokes and then put them in a bowl of water with 1 cut and squeezed lemon.
- In a pot large enough to place them side by side add olive oil and sauté the garlic cloves and anchovies
- for about a minute to extract their aroma and then add the fresh mint leaves, a couple of lemon slices, salt and pepper.
- Now place artichokes sitting flat with their stem sides up, press down for about a minute, then add the wine and cover tightly. On medium heat, cook for 15-20 minutes keeping the lid closed.
- Turn off the heat and let them sit in the pot, lid on, for another 10 minutes.
- Serve as soon as they are ready, with their juices and a slice of pecorino cheese.
Buon appetito! Καλή όρεξη!
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Jean Fautrier, Artichoke, ca. 1926, Oil on canvas, 35 x 27 cm
