This outstanding artichoke recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis. Her recipe calls for anchovies but I didn’t have any, and it really didn’t matter; the chokes were absolutely delicious with olives and capers and imported salt. I would make this for a dinner party as you can prepare most of it in advance and it looks so wonderful plated, crispy and brown. What puts this recipe over the top, however, was the salt from Ibiza and the French olive oil! Both brought to me by my best friend Priscilla after her May visit to Paris. Okay, you may think all olive oil is the same but it is not. Olive oil from Provence is a beautiful green color and quite fruity. The Sal de Ibiza is a 100% natural sea salt and the crystals melt in your mouth tranforming this dish into a showstopper. Of course, you can certainly use kosher salt and Italian olive oil and I will in the future when I am out of the salt and oil. Enjoy!
- 4 medium artichokes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup Italian dry bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup pitted olives, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and mince
- Discard the dark green outer leaves on each artichoke. Cut off the top 1 inch, then peel and trim the bottom and stem. Halve the artichoke lengthwise and scoop out the furry choke.
- Preheat the oven to 400° In a saucepan of simmering water, cook the artichoke halves until barely tender, 7 minutes. Drain well and pat dry.
- Lightly oil a ceramic baking dish. In a skillet, heat 1/2 cup of oil. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Add the artichokes cut side down and cook until crusty on the bottom. Flip them and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes; transfer the artichokes cut side up to the baking dish. Let the olive oil cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs and cheese. Stir in the olive oil and season very lightly with salt and pepper. In another bowl, mix the olives and capers with a pinch of pepper. Fill the artichoke halves with the olive mixture and top with the bread crumbs. Bake for 12 minutes, until the topping is browned and crisp and the artichokes are tender. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.
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