Artichoke - this is not a vegetable, as many people think, but the unopened bud of the cultured relative of the thistle. Methods of preparing artichokes, as well as recipes for dishes from this unusual vegetable-flower, are many. It is incredibly popular in Italian and French cuisines since the Middle Ages. From artichokes prepare salads and soups, pies and pizza, add in pastes, bread and even desserts.
How to cook artichokes?
Cut artichokes at different stages of maturation. Very young and tender, less chicken eggs, eaten raw. Also they, like the middle ones, can be preserved and marinated. Large, the size of an orange, must be brewed and only the base of the flower goes to food. When cutting artichokes, remember that due to the large iron content, they are instantly oxidized. Therefore, cut places should immediately sprinkle with lemon juice, or keep inflorescences in cold water with the addition of juice (3 liters 1 lemon). The knife must be made of stainless steel. Fingers, darkened by artichokes, can easily be wiped off with lemon peels.
Preparation of stuffed artichokes
Ingredients:
- artichokes - 3 pieces;
- breadcrumbs - 1/2 st .;
- "Parmesan" grated - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
- egg - 1 piece;
- parsley - 1/2 beam;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation
We clean artichokes, removing small leaves at the base. Cut the stems, wrap them in film and store them in the refrigerator for the next recipe. Scissors remove the tops of fleshy leaves, especially if they have spines. In cold water we squeeze out the juice of half a lemon and throw prepared artichokes there, so as not to darken.
Mix biscuits with cheese and egg. Add salt and chopped parsley. We start this mixture of artichokes between the leaves. To inflorescences are better opened, you can repeatedly hit them hard with a cutting board.
Stuffed artichokes set on the foundation in a saucepan and pour about a third of lemon water. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size). We check for readiness, having punched with a toothpick a place where there was a stem - it should easily enter. We serve artichokes with your favorite sauce, which should be dipped fleshy leaves and drag them between the teeth, extracting tender flesh, gradually getting to the most delicious - tsvetolozh.
Risotto with artichoke stems
Ingredients:
- stems of artichokes - 3 pieces;
- onion - 1 piece;
- carrots - 2 pieces;
- rice - 1 item;
- meat broth - 1 l;
- Butter - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- "Parmesan" grated - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation
Stems of artichokes are cleaned and cut into rings. We also prepare carrots. Fry the finely chopped onion in butter. Add to it artichokes with carrots and cover with a lid. When vegetables become soft, we transfer them to the bowl of the blender, crush it and return it to the pan, but along with the rice. Fill the ladle of meat broth. Stirring constantly, cook rice for about 20 minutes, adding broth as needed. A couple of minutes before the readiness we put a spoonful of butter, and when we turn off the fire - "Parmesan". Stir the risotto , and immediately to the table.
How to cook artichokes in a microwave oven?
Ingredients:
- artichokes - 4 pieces;
- olive oil - 4 tbsp. spoons;
- lemon - 1/2 pcs .;
- rosemary dry - 1/2 tsp;
- thyme dry - 1/2 tsp;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation
Artichokes thoroughly rinse under a strong stream of water. Remove external hard leaves and stems. We cut along two halves. Then sprinkle with lemon juice, salt. We put it in a heat-resistant form. Sprinkle with fragrant herbs, pour olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes, power 700 watts.
Marinated artichokes - recipe
Ingredients:
- artichokes - 4 pieces;
- lemon - 2 pieces;
- balsamic vinegar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- parsley - 3 branches;
- olive oil - 1/2 st .;
- salt, black pepper freshly ground - to taste.
Preparation
Prepare a bowl of cold water and juice of one lemon, in which we will put cleared artichokes. Now you can take care of cutting a miracle-vegetable. First, we clean the stem at the base of the flower, cut it, leaving about 2 cm. Remove the external hard and thorny leaves. Cut off the top of the bud, about a third, and take out the inedible fluffy core. It is convenient to make a spoon.
Prepared in this way, all artichokes, we send to cook in the same lemon water, in which they swim, about 30-40 minutes. Until they become soft, but do not start to fall apart.
In the meantime, we make refueling from butter, juice of one lemon, balsamic vinegar and chopped parsley. All this is well shaken in a blender, salt, pepper.
Boiled artichokes cut in half, poured dressing and sent to the refrigerator. In a couple of hours pickled artichokes can be consumed as a separate snack or salad.