The other famous Roman dish made with the same variety of artichokes is carciofi alla Romana – artichokes braised whole with herbs – which makes a great starter, or you could double or triple the quantities for lunch or dinner. Any left over can be chopped and crushed in a pan and fried in olive oil until golden on both sides – you could even break in an egg, and add some grated Parmesan and salt and pepper, for a great starter.
Blanched or char-grilled artichokes kept under oil are also beautiful, but if you are buying them, check the labels to make sure that there is not too much sugar and salt added. I have also given a recipe for pickled artichokes.
Which to choose
There are actually around ninety different types of recognised artichoke, and every region has its local variety, with its own particular season, but most of them are never seen elsewhere. Some are entirely violet-purple, some green, some a mixture of both, depending on the areas of production, and in some regions a particular artichoke will have its own Protected Designation of Origin status, which means it must be grown to specific standards in a defined region by a member of a consortium of growers.
The best-known varieties can be roughly divided into three kinds:
The pointed baby Venetian artichokes, originally from the Laguna Veneto, are best sliced and baked, grilled or deep-fried (see here). The most famous are the stunning purple-violet variety which grow in the salty soil of the island of Sant’ Erasmo, where the very first, tiniest, sought-after buds are called Castroere and are usually eaten raw. Venetian artichokes are also beautiful in risotto, under oil or pickled, especially served with burrata (see here).
Sardinian and Sicilian Spinoso (spiny) artichokes are more compact, slim and spiky. These are the ones that Vittorio cooks whole in ash using his special grill. They are great all-rounders, so you could use them for any of the recipes that follow, though Romanesco are better for cooking alla Romana.
Romanesco (which are also called Cimarolo or Mamole) and the Venetian Chioggia are more tender, flatter on the base and are best cooked with their stalk intact, as this is also delicious to eat. These are the varieties of artichoke to cook alla Romana, They are also good raw, with Parmesan, and lemon oil, as in the recipe overleaf.
The only problem, sometimes, is finding the right wine to pair with artichokes, as their tannins and metallic, iron-y nature can make it quite complicated.
How to prepare
‘Turning’ or preparing an artichoke is a little fiddly, but not difficult. The thing to remember is that artichokes discolour very quickly, so once you cut them, they need to go straight into water that has been acidulated with lemon juice.
Have ready a big bowl of cold water. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, then put the halves of lemon in, too. Then as you work, you can either dip the artichoke into the lemon water or just use the halved lemons to rub directly onto the exposed surfaces.
Hold the artichoke in one hand, then work your way around it snapping off and discarding the hard outer leaves from the base, until you reach the tender, yellow leaves underneath. Now cut off the bottom of the stalk, and with a small paring knife, trim off the stringy outside part all the way around the stalk, back to the core. Trim and scrape away the hard pieces around the base of each artichoke. Finally trim off the spiky tops of each of the leaves that are left using a sharp knife and then slice across the very top of the artichoke – take off about 2cm – enough to remove the spiky tops and reveal the choke inside.
Because the artichoke is actually a flower bud, the most important thing for it to do is to put out its seeds, so even when it is cut by its stalk from the plant, the choke – or beard, as I call it – will continue to grow, trying to develop into a flower. If the artichoke has been freshly harvested, or if it is very small, the choke will barely have formed, but the longer the artichoke has been cut from the plant, or the older or bigger it is, the more the choke will have developed and become hairy. So you need to scoop this out with a teaspoon. The easiest way to do this is to slice the artichokes in half lengthways first (unless the recipe calls for them to be left whole, as in carciofi alla Romana overleaf). As soon as the artichokes are sliced in half and the chokes removed, keep them in the acidulated water until you are ready to use them as they are, or cut them again into quarters or smaller pieces, according to your recipe.
Each recipe overleaf serves 6.
Raw with rocket, Parmesan and lemon oil
This can be a starter or a salad.
1 Take 6 medium artichokes and prepare as here. Cut in half lengthways, then using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, shave the artichokes lengthways as thinly as possible and put them into a bowl. Squeeze some more lemon juice over them straight away to avoid further discoloration.
2 Add 2 good handfuls of rocket, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season. Toss all together and finish with some shavings of Parmesan.
Alla Romana (braised)
You need a variety of artichoke such as Romanesco, with a large base. The herb to use, if you can find it, is the Italian minty mentuccia (sometimes called nepitella or calamint).
1 Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, and if you don’t have any mentuccia, finely chop a handful of fresh mint leaves and a handful of parsley leaves, and mix with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a touch of olive oil. Some people add some breadcrumbs and/or some chopped anchovies.
2 Prepare 6 medium artichokes as here but leave them whole, scoop out the choke with a teaspoon, then press the garlic and herb mixture into the hollow that you create.
3 Place upright in an ovenproof dish and add enough water to just cover them. Drizzle some more olive oil over the top and, if you like, a splash of white wine and a touch of vinegar (not too much vinegar, as they have already been in acidulated water).
4 Put in a bay leaf, a few peppercorns, and put into the oven at 160°C/gas 3 for 40 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the artichokes are soft if you prick the heart with a toothpick.
5 Lift out and serve either hot or cold.
Carciofi fritti (fried)
Like the deep-fried courgettes here, these are good to put out in a bowl with drinks.
1 Prepare 6 medium artichokes as for the recipe with rocket and Parmesan opposite, then toss the artichoke shavings in some semolina flour (for a more rustic appearance) or plain flour.
2 Heat some vegetable oil to 180°C in a deep-fryer or a large pan (no more than a third full). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in some flour and it should start to sizzle gently.
3 Deep-fry the flour-coated artichoke shavings until golden, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with a little lemon juice.
Caponata (sweet and sour)
1 Prepare 6 medium artichokes as here, and cut into quarters.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.
3