Soma Sengupta Passover Recipes: Carciofi alla Giudia (Fried Artichokes). A Little Taste of Rome!

 

by Soma Sengupta

Carciofi alla Giudia!!! Pure bliss is sitting in a sidewalk cafe in the 460-year-old Roman Ghetto, spring sunshine on your face & shoulders, a glass of amarone to sip & carciofi to nibble.  Spring is artichoke season and the carciofi is an ideal Passover dish.  They have the crispiness of chips on the outside, but the soft inside retains the pure artichoke flavor, a wonderful combination.  This is achieved by the two frys, the first at a lower temp to cook the chokes thoroughly, and the second to crisp them up.  Take my word for it, the two frys pay off.  You can serve the carciofi whole as a side, or quartered as finger food.   Use either peanut or olive oil, as per your taste.  The peanut oil is taste neutral, so the artichoke taste is clear.  But the olive oil adds a wonderful Mediterranean flavor.  Enjoy & sameach Pesach!

Ingredients

1 lemon, juiced

8 Globe Artichokes

6 cups peanut or olive 0il for frying

Fine sea salt, to taste, about 2 tablespoons

Lemon wedges to garnish

Method

Fill a large bowl with water and add lemon juice.  Set aside.

Using a sharp paring knife, shave off the tough outer leaves of artichokes until you reach the tender pale green or yellow leaves. Cut off at least an inch of the thorny top. Trim the stem near the heart, peeling off the outer green fiber and leaving about 2 inches of stem if possible. Using a spoon, scoop out the furry center of the choke.  If you wish to serve the artichoke as finger food, cut into 4 wedges.  Otherwise, leave whole.  As you trim. immediately put each artichoke in the lemon water to prevent browning.

Heat oil to 280 degrees.

While oil is heating, remove the artichokes from the water and dry thoroughly.  Salt the chokes, and beat them against one another so that the leaves start to open.

Fry the artichokes until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle bubble.  You should be able to easily pierce the center with a fork.  Turn larger artichokes frequently for even cooking.  Reserve oil.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer artichokes to a paper towel-lined plate. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Then, using your hands, gently pull open each artichoke “bud” so that it resembles an open flower.  You don’t need to do this if you are using wedges.

Shortly before serving, heat reserved oil to 375 degrees.  Fry artichokes until crisp, 2-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with sea salt & serve with the lemon wedges.