Carciofi alla Giudia (Roman Jewish Fried Artichokes)
By Steve DunnPublished on March 16, 2022
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Look for artichokes that are uniformly green, have tightly closed leaves, feel heavy for their size, and squeak a little when squeezed—all indications of freshness; avoid any that are browning and dried out. Don't worry when the artichokes discolor as you prep them; any oxidation won't be visible after frying. If your large saucepan holds less than 4 quarts, use a large Dutch oven and add 2 cups more canola oil so that the artichokes are completely covered. We like to season these artichokes with flake sea salt. The stem makes a useful handle when prepping and cooking the artichokes but is usually too fibrous to eat.
Instructions
- Working with 1 artichoke at a time, snap off tough outer leaves until you reach tender inner leaves (they'll be pale yellow at their base). Trim stem to 1½-inch length. Peel stem and base with paring or bird's beak knife to remove dark-green layer. Starting halfway up leaves, use chef's knife to make 45-degree angled cut toward top of artichoke to remove tips of leaves. Repeat same cut 3 more times, rotating artichoke quarter turn before each cut.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with double layer of paper towels. Heat canola oil and olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat to 275 degrees. Cut each artichoke in half through stem.
- Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully add artichokes to oil. Cook until paring knife slipped into thickest part of base meets little resistance and leaves are medium brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer artichokes to prepared rack cut side down to drain. Remove saucepan from heat. Let artichokes cool for 15 minutes. (Artichoke halves can be wrapped well and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Using spoon, scoop out choke from center of each artichoke half, being careful not to dislodge leaves attached to base. Replace paper towels with double layer of fresh paper towels. Heat oil over high heat to 350 degrees.
- Place 2 artichoke halves cut side down in oil and, using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, lightly press on artichokes to submerge. Cook until outer leaves are dark brown, 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to prepared rack cut side down to drain. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining artichoke halves in 3 batches. Sprinkle artichokes on both sides with flake sea salt to taste. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 as an appetizerIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To make carciofi alla giudia, the fried artichokes that Roman Jews have prepared for centuries during the thistle's spring harvest, cooks trim the thistles to expose their tender, inner leaves, and then they deep-fry the artichokes a few at a time—twice. The first round softens up the vegetable's dense heart, and the second makes the petals unfurl and crisp. After plucking off the tough outer bracts, we made four angled cuts with a sharp knife to remove the top half of the remaining leaves. Halving the artichoke exposed its hairy choke, which we scooped out with a spoon after the first fry, when it had softened considerably. Using very fresh, tightly closed blossoms minimized the amount of leaves lost during prep. Double frying delivered a stunning range of textures: The first fry, done low and slow, rendered the dense heart soft and creamy. The second, a 1-minute flash in hot oil, browned and crisped up the leaves so that they offered a range of potato chip–like crunch and crispness. The leaves also unfurled so that the finished product resembled a copper-dipped chrysanthemum. Frying in a combination of neutral canola oil and a small amount of olive oil minimized cost and also allowed the delicate artichoke flavor to stand out. Straining the used oil meant that it could be reused more than half a dozen times.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Look for artichokes that are uniformly green, have tightly closed leaves, feel heavy for their size, and squeak a little when squeezed—all indications of freshness; avoid any that are browning and dried out. Don't worry when the artichokes discolor as you prep them; any oxidation won't be visible after frying. If your large saucepan holds less than 4 quarts, use a large Dutch oven and add 2 cups more canola oil so that the artichokes are completely covered. We like to season these artichokes with flake sea salt. The stem makes a useful handle when prepping and cooking the artichokes but is usually too fibrous to eat.
Instructions
- Working with 1 artichoke at a time, snap off tough outer leaves until you reach tender inner leaves (they'll be pale yellow at their base). Trim stem to 1½-inch length. Peel stem and base with paring or bird's beak knife to remove dark-green layer. Starting halfway up leaves, use chef's knife to make 45-degree angled cut toward top of artichoke to remove tips of leaves. Repeat same cut 3 more times, rotating artichoke quarter turn before each cut.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with double layer of paper towels. Heat canola oil and olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat to 275 degrees. Cut each artichoke in half through stem.
- Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully add artichokes to oil. Cook until paring knife slipped into thickest part of base meets little resistance and leaves are medium brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer artichokes to prepared rack cut side down to drain. Remove saucepan from heat. Let artichokes cool for 15 minutes. (Artichoke halves can be wrapped well and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Using spoon, scoop out choke from center of each artichoke half, being careful not to dislodge leaves attached to base. Replace paper towels with double layer of fresh paper towels. Heat oil over high heat to 350 degrees.
- Place 2 artichoke halves cut side down in oil and, using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, lightly press on artichokes to submerge. Cook until outer leaves are dark brown, 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to prepared rack cut side down to drain. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining artichoke halves in 3 batches. Sprinkle artichokes on both sides with flake sea salt to taste. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
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