Carciofi alle Brace
Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Vegetables-Grilled
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Easy but special equipment needed
As Pellegrino Artusi, the best-selling nineteenth-century Italian cookbook writer, said, "everyone knows how to cook artichokes on a grill." If you don't, follow this recipe for a fun eating experience. My favorite Sicilian chef, Carlo Middione of Vivande Ristorante in San Francisco, roasts these whole artichokes directly in the embers of the wood fire with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Preparation Time: 1 hour
10 medium-size artichokes (about 4 ounces each)
1/2 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
1. Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on medium-low
2. Trim off the top inch and stem of each artichoke. If using baby artichokes, you can grill them with leaves and stem attached. Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the leaves of the artichoke apart with your fingers or by banging the bottom on a hard surface and pour the sauce over the top making sure it drips into all the spaces between the leaves. Alternatively, you can vertically split the artichokes in half and coat the cut sides with the dressing.
3. Place the artichokes on the grill or in the embers of the coals and cook, turning, until the outside leaves are black, if cooked on a grill, or when the bottoms of the artichokes are easily pierced with a long wooden skewer, about 45 minutes for medium-size artichokes, 25 minutes for halved or baby artichokes. Remove, drizzle with the lemon juice mixed with oregano, if using, and serve. Eat the artichokes with your hands.
Posted: 01/04/2007
