Fried Artichokes

Fried artichokes are a delicious appetizer typical of Roman cuisine, appreciated for their crispiness on the outside and softness inside. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 6 artichokes
• Flour, as needed
• Lemon juice
• Frying oil (sunflower or peanut)
• Salt, as needed

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the artichokes: remove the outer harder leaves, cut off the thorny tip and part of the stem, leaving only the tender part.

2. As you clean the artichokes, immerse them in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to prevent oxidation, which would turn them black.

3. Cut each artichoke into wedges or if you prefer into quarters, and make sure they are of fairly uniform size for even cooking.

4. Heat plenty of oil in a pan to about 170-180 °C. While the oil is heating, drain the artichoke wedges and gently dry them with paper towels.

5. Flour the artichoke wedges, making sure to shake off the excess to prevent it from burning in the oil.

6. Dip the wedges into the hot oil, working in batches so as not to lower the oil temperature too much, and fry until they are golden and crispy.

7. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

8. Lightly salt them and serve the fried artichokes hot.

Curiosity

Artichokes are very versatile and lend themselves to numerous cooking methods, from frying to baking. In Rome, the “carciofi alla giudia” are famous, in which artichokes are first softened in boiling water and then fried whole in hot oil until crisp, a real specialty of Roman Jewish cuisine.