Stuffed artichokes are a perfect artichoke appetizer! Globe artichokes are trimmed and stuffed with herbed parmesan breadcrumb stuffing, then baked.
Hello fellow artichoke lovers. Have you ever had stuffed artichokes? If you are making artichokes for company and want to make an impression, try stuffing and baking them.
Seriously the best way to eat artichokes ever. I don’t say this lightly. Stuffed artichokes are really, truly good.
It’s somewhat obvious why when you look at the ingredients. Artichokes are a wonder food in and of themselves. Pull back the leaves (petals actually) and stuff them with herby, garlicky, Parmesan breadcrumbs, and drizzle with olive oil? Wow.
There is no pre-steaming of the artichokes in this recipe. You just prep trim the leaves, slice off the top, scoop out and discard the choke, and then stuff the leaves with the breadcrumb mixture. Put into a pot with water, lemon, garlic, cover and bake until you can easily pull the leaves off.
Covering the dish while baking essentially steams the artichoke with the stuffing in it!
No need for a dip. The stuffing sticks to the leaves where a dip would normally go and you eat it the same way.
So good! Perfect appetizer for a spring gathering, or luxurious meal in itself.
Choosing the right artichoke
This recipe works best with medium-to-large, fresh, in-season artichokes. Here’s what to look for:
- Heavy: The artichokes should feel heavy when you hold them. If they’re light, that’s a sign that they are a little dried out and probably tough.
- Squeak: When you hold a fresh artichoke, the leaves squeak when you squeeze them.
- Closed, not flayed open, leaves: If an artichoke has leaves that are wide open that’s a sign that they artichoke may be on the old side and may be tough. If it’s still heavy, you’re okay, but if not, look for an artichoke where the leaves are more closed with just a little separation.
- In Season: The main season for artichokes is in the spring (March and April). There is a smaller, second season in the fall (October). Buy artichokes when they are in season and you’ll have a better chance of getting one that is fresh and not dried out or tough.
Baked Stuffed Artichokes Recipe
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 large globe artichokes
- 4 slices lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 slices white bread
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 slices lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
Method
1 Make fresh breadcrumbs: Cut off the crust from 6 slices of bread. Chop the centers and put into a food processor. Pulse until you have coarse breadcrumbs. You should have about 3 cups.
2 Make the stuffing: In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped parsley, minced oregano, 1/2 cup olive oil, and black pepper. Set aside.
3 Prep the artichokes: Cut off the stem, leaving 1/2 inch from the bottom row of leaves. Using kitchen scissors, cut off 1/2-inch of the tips of all of the artichoke leaves.
Cut 1 inch from the top of the artichoke. (It helps to use a serrated knife like a bread knife for this.)
Take a slice of lemon and rub over the cut edges of the artichokes to keep them from turning brown.
4 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
5 Stuff the artichokes: Use your finger to gently pull open the center leaves of the artichokes. Pull out the inner tender yellow artichoke leaves. Use a small metal spoon to scrape and scoop out all of the inner fuzzy choke.
Note that removing the choke at this stage isn’t entirely necessarily, and it does require some elbow grease. That said, it makes eating the stuffed artichoke a much easier, and more enjoyable experience.
Place artichokes on a sheet pan (to catch the breadcrumbs) and start stuffing the artichoke with your stuffing mix. Put some stuffing mix between each large leaf and the artichoke, as well as a generous amount in the center.
6 Bake the artichokes: Put about 1-inch of boiling water in the bottom of a Dutch oven that will snugly hold the artichokes. Add 2 slices of lemon, a bay leaf, 2 cloves garlic to the water.
Place the artichokes sitting upright in the water. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil.
Cover the pot tightly with a lid. (Remember to cover the dish or this method will not work!)
Bake for 1 hour at 375°F (190°C), or until a knife easily penetrates the heart of the artichoke or you can easily remove one of the outer petals. (Depending on the size of the artichoke baking time can vary from 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or longer.)
Remove the cover and broil for a minute or so, enough to get some browning on the top of the stuffing.
Remove artichokes to a serving dish to serve.
Links:
How to cook and eat artichokes here on Simply Recipes
Grilled artichokes here on Simply Recipes
