I make artichokes for L. from time to time, usually just steamed with some drawn lemon butter on the side. Since the higher up he gets in the teens, the more voracious his appetite becomes, I decided to attempt a stuffed artichoke in order to add some substance to the dish.
This was very tasty and very rich; next time I think that I will make a vegetarian version and omit the meat, though it certainly added to the flavor. Or you could substitute sausage meat for the Prosciutto that I used. In fact, this is a recipe that you can fully make your own so use what you have in your fridge rather than follow my recipe to the letter. You can also steam the artichokes in advance and then reheat the stuffed version in the oven later.
4 large artichokes
2 lemons, halved
1 cup bread of your choice, cut in small cubes (I used a dense 7 grain)
1 large shallot, peeled and finely diced (or onion would work)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped (or basil)
4 slices Prociutto, finely chopped (or ham, or omit, up to you)
1/2 cup melty cheese, finely diced (I used Fontina but you could use Mozzarella)
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the artichokes by cutting off the stems so that they can sit on their own without falling over. Bang the artichokes on your kitchen counter, globe side down, several times (and hard!) this will open them up enough so that you can use a spoon to remove all of the choke. This is the bitter, fuzzy stuff that resides in the center of each artichoke and which will ruin your dining experience if you do not remove it completely. Most tutorials on how to prepare artichokes spend time telling you to use your kitchen shears to cut off all of the sharp ends of the leaves but I have never done that. I do however hunt choke fuzz single-mindedly. As each artichoke is cleaned, squeeze the juice from half a lemon into teh central cavity and over the artichoke.
Place a steamer in a large stockpot and bring 2-3 inches of water, into which you have flung the spent lemons, to a boil. Place the the artichokes globe side down and cover. Steam over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. The artichokes should have opened slightly during cooking, giving you access to the heart and more room in which to insert stuffing.
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the shallot. Cook until the shallot is translucent and soft, a few minutes. Add the chopped parsley and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or so, until the parsley has wilted. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add all the other ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of Parmesan, to the pan off the heat and stir well so as to coat with the butter.
Place the artichokes in an oven safe dish. Add enough water to cover about 1/2 an inch up in the pan.
Place as much stuffing as possible in the center of each artichoke and then stuff the rest here and there in spaces throughout the open leaves. Sprinkle each artichoke with 1/4 of the remaining Parmesan.
Reheat in the oven until the cheese has completely melted and the artichokes are warmed through.
I served this with drawn butter into which had melted Parmesan and squeezed lemon juice but just lemon juice would have sufficed.