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Artichokes Jewish Style

Category: Italian

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(2.0) by 2 users

Ingredients:

12 Artichokes, medium, fresh
2 Lemons, juice and rinds
2 tbsp -salt
1 tsp -pepper, freshly ground
3 cup Olive oil

Instructions:

Carciofo All Guidia To quote the author, "This is the most famous of
all Italian Jewish foods. It originated with the Roman Jews, and owes
its fame to having been served at a restaurant in the Roman ghetto
where it was discovered and quickly adopted by connoisseurs of
excellent food all over Europe. Utimately it found its way into many
Italian cookbooks, My mother, a Jewish woman who was born and raised
in Rome, prepared especially delicious Carciofi all Guidia (better
than you could find in any restaurant!). I watched her prepare them,
and have prepared them myself, practically all my life. Here in my
mother's technique in detail"

Trim the artichokes as detailed in "How to clean artichokes- Jewish
style" and keep them in lemon water till you are ready to use them.
"Drain the two artichokes and, holding one in each hand by the stem
and bottom, gently hit the leafy parts against each other until the
leaves of one open up a little. Place the opened artichoke, bottom
up, on a board or a working surface. Drain another artichoke from its
bath and repeat what you did with the first two, and line up the one
that opens next to the last one. Continue until all the artichokes
are opened up. The last one will have to be tapped against the board.
In a small bowl, combine salt and pepper. Take one artichoke at a
time and sprinkle all over, including between the leaves, with salt
and pepper mixture. Heat the oil in a deep earthenware or similar
saucepan. Cook as many artichokes at a time as fit in one layer over
moderate heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bottoms and the
sides are well browned. During the cooking period, sprinkle some cold
water over the artichokes to produce steam, so that the inside will
be cooked, too. To do this the authentic way, have a bowl containing
cold water near the range. Dip your closed fist in the water and then
open it forcefully over the roasting artichokes. Repeat sprinkling
several times. When all the artichokes are done, transfer them to a
plate, bottom side down to keep the moisture in.* Pick them up at the
bottom with a fork and dip them, one by one in the hot oil again,
pressing the leaves to the bottom of the pan. The artichokes will
open up like roses and the leaves will become golden and crisp. Serve
immediately.

NOTE: Although traditionally Carciofi alla Giudia are served piping
hot, they are delicious at room temperature.

*Up to this point you may prepare the artichokes several hours ahead
of time and keep them, bottom side down, so that they do not lost
their moisture. Should they become too dry, sprinkle some cold water
on them when reheating and press the leaves down against the bottom
of the pan.