Artichokes Jewish Style
Submitted by kelly5355
Carciofi alla Giudia - whole artichokes deep-fried twice in olive oil until they bloom open like golden roses. A Roman Jewish specialty with crisp outer leaves and a tender center.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minCarciofi alla Giudia is one of the most visually dramatic dishes in Italian cooking. These Roman Jewish-style artichokes are opened by smacking them against each other (a technique as old as the recipe), seasoned between the leaves, then deep-fried in olive oil until golden.
The double-fry is what makes the dish. The first fry cooks the artichoke through using a steam technique: during frying, you dip a closed wet fist and open it forcefully over the hot oil, producing bursts of steam that cook the interior while the outside browns. The second fry is where they transform: cooked artichokes go back into the hot oil with their leaves pressed flat against the pan, blooming open into wide, crisp fans.
The contrast is the point - outer leaves shatteringly crisp, the base and inner layers soft and tender.
Serve immediately for maximum crispness, though the recipe notes they’re also excellent at room temperature.
Chef Tips
- Keep trimmed artichokes in lemon water until ready to use; they oxidize within minutes when exposed to air
- The wet fist steam technique is not optional - without it the interior won’t cook through before the outside overbrowns
- Hold finished artichokes bottom-side down to preserve moisture while completing batches
- Press leaves firmly to the pan bottom on the second fry to get the full bloom effect
Variations
- With lemon: Serve with a fresh lemon wedge for squeezing over the finished artichokes to cut through the richness
- Smaller batch: Scales down easily to 2-4 artichokes using a smaller pan with proportionally less oil
Ingredients
Directions
Trim the artichokes as detailed in “How to clean artichokes- Jewish style” and keep them in lemon water until you are ready to use them. “Drain the two artichokes and, holding one in each hand by the stem and bottom, gently hit the leafy parts against each other until the leaves of one open up a little.
Place the opened artichoke, bottom up, on a board or a working surface. Drain another artichoke from its bath and repeat what you did with the first two, and line up the one that opens next to the last one.
Continue until all the artichokes are opened up. The last one will have to be tapped against the board. In a small bowl, combine salt and pepper.
Take one artichoke at a time and sprinkle all over, including between the leaves, with salt and pepper mixture. Heat the oil in a deep earthenware or similar saucepan. Cook as many artichokes at a time as fit in one layer over moderate heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bottoms and the sides are well browned. During the cooking period, sprinkle some cold water over the artichokes to produce steam, so that the inside will be cooked, too. To do this the authentic way, have a bowl containing cold water near the range. Dip your closed fist in the water and then open it forcefully over the roasting artichokes. Repeat sprinkling several times. When all the artichokes are done, transfer them to a plate, bottom side down to keep the moisture in.
Pick them up at the bottom with a fork and dip them, one by one in the hot oil again, pressing the leaves to the bottom of the pan. The artichokes will open up like roses and the leaves will become golden and crisp. Serve immediately.
NOTE: Although traditionally Carciofi alla Giudia are served piping hot, they are delicious at room temperature.
*Up to this point you may prepare the artichokes several hours ahead of time and keep them, bottom side down, so that they do not lost their moisture. Should they become too dry, sprinkle some cold water on them when reheating and press the leaves down against the bottom of the pan.
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