Scuderi Family Tradition Recipe: Christmas Star-Stuffed Artichokes
Stuffed artichokes are a holiday must for Italian-American families. Once you try this dish, you're sure to repeat this classic recipe throughout the year!
Ingredients
- 2 large globe artichokes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
- 8-10 anchovy filets
- 1 bulb garlic, cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- Lots of coarse black pepper
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley (a small bunch), finely chopped
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preparation
Trim the artichoke bottoms and a few outer leaves, leaving most of the leaf points tipped for the star-effect. Cook the artichokes in a large pot of boiling water with lemon juice, 15-20 minutes. Cool upside down, then remove the center leaves and fibrous choke.
In a small skillet, melt the anchovies into the EVOO over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir to combine, then add the breadcrumbs. Work the EVOO and garlic into the breadcrumbs and toast to deep golden brown. Add the pepper and parsley and remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese.
Arrange the artichokes in a casserole or baking dish. Add enough water to barely coat the bottom of the dish. Spoon the stuffing into each leaf – when the artichoke is fully stuffed it will look like a giant star.
To serve, pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
Loosely cover the dish with foil and heat through, then drizzle the artichokes with EVOO and leave uncovered to crisp the crumbs back up. Serve the artichokes directly from the casserole with bowls for discarded leaves.
