Shared by Sara Pavoncello
Shared by Sara Pavoncello
Roman Style Artichokes with Anchovies
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 40 minutes
Roman Style Artichokes with Anchovies
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 40 minutesFamily Journey
Rome, Italy
When the Jews lived in the Roman ghetto, says Sara Pavoncello, a tour guide of the Roman Jewish Ghetto, there were many restrictions on which foods they could and couldn’t purchase. Forbidden from buying most vegetables, they embraced the thorny artichoke, which at the time had a reputation as a “peasant’s vegetable.” Ever resourceful, they deep fried it, turning it into a deliciously crispy treat that’s still popular today. While many Jewish families still make carciofi alla giudia, the Pavoncello family makes carciofi alla Romana, Roman-style braised artichokes. The braised artichokes become soft and buttery when gently simmered in a broth of olive oil, white wine (or water) and garlic. Sara’s nonna Speranza loved anchovies, so she added them to her version of Roman-style artichokes, bathing them in a fragrant mixture of olive oil, garlic, and anchovies.
Read more about Sara’s family in “For Sara Pavoncello, Keeping Roman Jewish Traditions Alive Is an Honor” and try her recipes for broccoli soup with pasta and anchovy, pomodori a mezzo, and Roman Jewish carbonara.
Ingredients
- 3 lemons
- 6 artichokes
- 12 anchovy fillets
- 1 cup good quality olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- Fresh black pepper, to season
Preparation
Step 1
Fill a bowl with water and the juice of one of the lemons. Clean the artichokes: Remove the external leaves until you get to the softer and lighter ones. Clean up the stalk and cut the first 1” off.
Step 2
Using the end of a spoon, get rid of the “choke,” or hair, of the artichoke. Wash the artichoke and smear half of a lemon on it to prevent it from browning. Repeat with remaining artichokes, placing them in the bowl of prepared lemon water as you go.
Step 3
Once completed, dry the artichokes and put half an anchovy inside each one.
Step 4
Pour the oil, the remaining anchovies and the garlic into a large frying pan with tall sides. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, 3-4 minutes, letting the anchovies dissolve and the garlic turn lightly golden. Add the artichokes to the pan and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Let fry for 5 minutes on a low flame.
Step 5
Carefully, add a cup of hot water to the pan. Cover the pan and let it cook for 25 minutes, leaving the artichokes undisturbed.
Step 6
Use a fork to test if the artichokes are cooked through, poking the tines into the stalk and the side of the leaves. If it goes through with minimal resistance, the artichokes are fully cooked. Serve warm with more black pepper.
