AAF’s Recipe of the Day

This is a “fiddly” recipe, but well worth the effort.

Artichauds a la Provencale (stuffed artichokes)

I prepare this quite often as everyone in the household likes artichokes. This is for six persons so you would need two medium-sized artichokes per person.

12 medium-size artichokes, 250 grams home-made breadcrumbs (same method as used with the Provencal stuffed vegetables), 1/2 cup cream,  1/4 cup chopped parsley, 4 clove garlic, peeled and minced, salt and pepper to taste, 2 medium-size onion, chopped roughly, 4 carrots, scraped and cut in disks, 2 sticks of celery, Bouquet garni of sage, thyme, and a bay leaf, 3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil,  1/2 cup (or more) of a good brand bouillon.

Cut off the tips of the leaves and remove the toughest ones. Cut the base of each artichoke straight across so it can sit down firmly without tipping. Make a mince of the fine bread crumbs, soaked in cream and pressed out, and the parsley mixed with the garlic, salt and pepper.

Slip small spoonfuls of this stuffing between the leaves of the artichokes, putting the largest portions in the center. Put a layer of chopped onion in the bottom of a casserole. Stew over it the carrots cut in disks. Add a small bouquet garni and place the filled artichokes, close together, on this bed. Sprinkle generously with olive oil and place the casserole over moderate heat. After the contents have begun to heat, add 1/2 cup of bouillon. Cover very tightly. Simmer for 1.5 hours or 2 hours. Sometimes I add a bit of grated Fontina cheese for effect!

Tags: Artichoke, Recipe