It is two days in a row for looking at wonderful recipes from The New Persian Kitchen by author and chef Louisa Shafia. With a Persian background, Louisa takes an inventive look at an array of Persian dishes from appetizers to desserts. Some are classical dishes and some are one inspired by Persia but using the ingredients or techniques of an American kitchen.
I always wonder who figured out how to cook artichokes. I was lying in bed last night pondering this one more time. I think I figured it out. With that drought in California and the constant wildfires, I bet some American Indian came across a wild artichoke that had been roasted in a recent fire. Hunter-gatherers learn to gather whatever and wherever they can. I can see that blacked artichoke being picked up, the leaves plucked off, and a careful mouth exploring the meager sustenance that hovers at the base of each leaf.
It’s a good story. Or theory. Unprovable but a bit plausible. Maybe I came up with idea by looking at this recipe. Ordinarily, Suzen prepares our chokes by boiling them in lemon water and then serving with a chipotle mayo. It’s a lovely, and has been a hundred times or more.
I never considered baking the chokes, as we do here, instead of boiling. And I would not have dreamed of having them stuffed with cheese. This is definitely not a classic California recipe. It is, however, equally inspired.
[Oh, dear, I just looked at Wikipedia and my California Indian theory is shot down. Artichokes are from the Mediterranean and it was the ancient Greeks who first began cooking them.]
This dish can be a side for a late night summer meal, after the sun is long down and the warm artichokes don’t seem out of place. Or, you can have a small side salad and offer each person two artichokes to be the main course. No one will complain.
This is one of Louisa’s recipes, following the Persian love for wild cardoons — very similar to artichokes. The fluffy ricotta filling is homage to Italy, one of the first European countries to fully and happily embrace artichokes. The mint oil is pure Middle East.
Roasted Stuffed Artichokes with Mint Oil
Yield: serves 2 [yes, the picture shows 3 artichokes]
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon
- 2 globe artichokes
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- Sea salt
- 2 ounces ricotta cheese, drained
- Pinch of saffron, ground and steeped in 1 tablespoon hot water
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg, whisked
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Fill a medium bowl three-quarters full with cold water. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, and throw in the rind.
Slice off the top third of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife, and cut off the stem to make a flat base. Pull off the small leaves around the bottom, and snip the tips of the remaining leaves with scissors. Stretch open the center of the artichoke with your thumbs, and pluck out the inner yellow leaves. Pull out the purple choke, and scrape out the fibrous hairs with a melon bailer, a grapefruit spoon, or a paring knife. Place it in the lemon water to prevent browning, and repeat with the remaining artichoke.
In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the mint, oil, and garlic. Add a pinch of salt, and set aside for a few minutes to allow the mint to soften.
Whisk together the ricotta, saffron, and lemon zest in a small bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in the egg. Spoon the ricotta into the center of the artichokes.
Place the artichokes in a rimmed baking dish. Pour the mint oil over the artichokes, drizzling it on the outer leaves as well as the filling. Add a splash of water to the baking dish, and cover tightly. Roast the artichokes for 1 ½ hours, until the flesh is very tender and the ricotta is firm and doubled in size.
Serve warm, topped with the pan juice. To eat an artichoke, pull off the leaves and dip the fleshy part in the pan juice. When you reach the center, cut into the ricotta and the artichoke heart with a fork.