Carciofi alla Romana

Artichokes stuffed with mint and garlic and braised standing up in oil and water.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 8 globe artichokes, with long stems
• 2 lemons
• a large handful of mint leaves, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 100 ml olive oil
• 200 ml water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Trim the artichokes as for the fried version but KEEP THE STEMS LONG, 8 to 10 cm, peeled. The stem is eaten in this dish and is the best part of it.
2. Hollow the choke out of the centre with a teaspoon. In the fried version the heat deals with it; braised, it stays hairy and inedible.
3. Mix the mint, garlic and salt and push it down into the middle of each artichoke with your thumb.
4. Stand them STEM UP in a pan just wide enough to hold them touching, so they hold each other upright.
5. Pour the oil over them and the water around them. The liquid should come a third of the way up and no further — this is a braise, not a boil, and the tops steam while the hearts simmer.
6. Cover with a lid or foil and cook on a low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife goes into the heart without resistance.
7. Let them cool in the pan. They are served warm or at room temperature with their cooking oil spooned over, never hot and never crisp.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

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