Stuffed Artichoke

​stuffed artichoke- Sanders Kitchen

STUFFED ARTICHOKE

INGREDIENTS 1-2 Artichokes 1 medium onion 5 Toes garlic (large) ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Fresh Lemon Juice from 1 lemon Zest of ½ Lemon 1 cup Parmesan cheese 1 ¼ Cup Italian style bread crumbs 2 Tbsp. dry parsley 1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning blend 1 Tsp. Kosher salt 1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper COOKING INSTRUCTIONS In a food processor, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Chop up fine to a puree. Now add to the processor, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, herb blend, salt, cayenne pepper and 1-2 Tbsps. of lemon juice. Process this together until you see the mix has formed a dough ball. Note: This is called Muddica. Pronounced: Moo dee Ka If your Muddica is a bit dry, add a tablespoon of olive oil and process a bit more. I like my Muddica to be moist. On To The Artichoke Slice off about ½ inch off the top of the artichoke to remove the tips of the leaves. Using a pair of scissors, trim off the tips of the lower leaves. Flip the artichoke upside down and lightly hammer it on top of a cutting board. This will loosen up the leaves and spread them out. Last, cut off the stem. Now cut off a fairly long sheet of aluminum foil, crumble it a bit and make a circle for the artichoke to sit in. The artichoke should set inside the ring a bit. Place the foil and artichoke into a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Remove the artichoke and allow it to cool for 5 minutes or until it’s cool enough to handle without burning your fingers. Once your artichoke is cool, start adding the Muddica inside the leaves. I use a small spoon to open a leaf. Then while holding the leaf open, I’ll spoon in a small amount of Muddica and press it down with a finger. Continue doing this to every leaf starting from the bottom of the artichoke to the top. Once this is complete, the artichoke will look like a flower in full bloom. You can add more Muddica if you want at this time and check for leaves you may have missed. Add some lemon zest to the top of the artichoke, squeeze on some lemon juice, then lay a thin slice of lemon in the center of the artichoke. It’s time to steam it one last time. Place the artichoke back in the steamer for 30-40 minutes. Check the water level every 15 minutes to make sure you don’t run out of water. Remove the artichoke from the steamer carefully and allow it to cool off a bit before eating. This will allow the Muddica to stiffen up a bit as well.