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Braised Artichoke with Parsley and Fried Capers
This is one of those dishes that deserve the extra effort of trimming artichokes. I made it the other day when I was home alone and it took every bit of self-restraint I had to keep myself from eating the whole thing before shooting the photos.
The fried capers are really fun and pretty and they add a nice textural contrast to the dish. Just be very careful with the hot oil splattering. Drying them really well before frying will help prevent splattering and using a pot with deep sides will help contain the splatter. If you have a splatter screen, use that, too.
Braised Artichoke with Parsley and Fried Capers
About This Recipe
| This recipe appears in: | How to Trim an Artichoke |
Ingredients
- 4 medium artichoke hearts, with trimmed stems attached
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup white wine
- cup or so of grape seed oil for frying
- 2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and dried well
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
- several thin shavings of Pecorino Romano
- lemon juice, to taste
Procedures
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1
Cut each artichoke heart into thick lengthwise slices, about 6 slices per artichoke. Heat a skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil.
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2
Spread the artichoke slices evenly in the pan. Brown both sides of the artichokes, about 5 minutes on each side.
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3
In the last 2 minutes on the second side, add the garlic slices and stir.
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4
When the garlic slices are fragrant and soft, add salt, pepper and wine, cover the pan, and cook the artichokes until tender over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes.
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5
While the artichokes are cooking, heat oil in a small, deep saucepan over medium heat until oil is about 360°F. The oil is hot enough when a caper dropped into the oil sizzles and bubbles form around it. Make sure the capers are dried very well to minimize splatter, and even then, be very careful. A tablespoon at a time, fry the capers for about a minute. When they are done, they will be crispy and have opened up like little flowers. Drain them on paper towels.
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6
When the artichokes are done, remove from heat and toss in the parsley. Squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, to taste.
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7
Spoon the artichokes onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese and capers. Serve hot.
