Greek-Style Stuffed Artichokes
Description
This fancy dish is makes a beautiful appetizer or maybe a side dish. It will bring you rave reviews from your dinner guests!
Ingredients
2 T. olive oil + more for drizzling
1 T. unsalted butter
1/4 c. pine nuts
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 generous cup plain bread crumbs
1 T. fresh minced rosemary
10-12 marinated Greek olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/2 t. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. red pepper flakes, optional
1 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. crumbled Feta cheese
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 large artichokes
2 lemons
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stuffing:
Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet. Saute the garlic and pine nuts for a few minutes.
Add the bread crumbs to the pan, along with rosemary, olives, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Saute for about 5 minutes until everything is toasty.
Remove from heat, mix in the Parmesan cheese, then toss with the Feta cheese and lemon zest.
Prepare a large bowl of water and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into it. Throw in the leftover lemon after it has been squeezed. Use them to rub the cut parts of the artichokes as you work.
Working with one artichoke at a time, trim the stem end of the artichokes so they sit nicely in a baking dish. Use a large sharp knife to trim off the tops of the artichokes, maybe about 1 1/2 inches from the top.
Use a small spoon to scoop out the inedible parts, the purple leafy bits and the hairy chokes. This will leave a nice cavity. Sprinkle the cut edges with lemon juice to prevent browning as you work. Put the finished artichoke cut side down, in the lemon water.
Set a steamer basket in a large pot and fill with water, just to the bottom of the basket. Bring the water to a boil and steam the two artichokes for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the artichokes and set them, face up, in a baking pan.
When they are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to gently open the leaves and layers for stuffing. Fill the main cavity of each artichoke with the stuffing, and let the extra fall into as many layers and leaves as you can.
Drizzle the artichokes with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pan, cover loosely with foil, and bake for about 25 minutes. Be sure to check for doneness, because artichokes can vary a lot in size and density. A small, sharp knife should be able to pierce the bottom of the artichoke easily.
Eat hot from the oven, with lemon wedges on the side. To eat, pull the individual leaves off and eat the tender parts. The leaves closer to the center are more tender. When you get to the heart, just use a knife and fork to finish it off.