I think it’s the little touches – making your own bread crumbs, for example – that give this recipe a homey (and also very elegant) touch. I like to use a tablespoon measure to scoop the hay out of the artichokes because it’s easier to grip and it really helps to extract all of the innards from the artichoke.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 45 min |
| Cook: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 45 min |
| Cook: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Deselect All
- Cold water, as needed
- 3 to 4 lemons, juiced, divided
- 6 medium artichokes, stems trimmed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs, lightly toasted
- 1/2 bunch curly parsley, stemmed, washed, dried and chopped
- 1 small or 1/2 medium bulb fennel, tough outer layer removed, halved lengthwise, cut into thin slices and very roughly chopped
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare a bowl of cold water large enough to hold the 6 artichoke hearts. Add the juice of 2 lemons to the water. Use a paring knife to trim the dark green skin from the stem and the base of each artichoke. Also slice about 2 to 3 inches off the top. In a circular motion, using a paring knife or peeler or your hands, peel the outer, dark green bitter layer of the heart until the fleshly, light green part is exposed. Trim and leave about 2 to 3 inches of the stem. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the “hay” or “choke” from the center of each artichoke. Squeeze some of the remaining lemon juice over the artichoke, if desired, rubbing the lemon directly on them to prevent them from discoloring, then submerge them in the lemon water.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, the bread crumbs, parsley and fennel with the fontina and Parmesan. Stir to blend. Season with salt, to taste. Remove the artichokes from the water, pat dry and transfer them to a bowl. Reseason with salt and drizzle them with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stuff each artichoke with the bread crumb mixture and arrange them in a flameproof baking dish. Don’t be afraid to pack the stuffing into each artichoke. Arrange them close together in the dish so they steam a little and create moisture as they cook. Top the artichokes with any remaining stuffing. Add a little water to the bottom of the baking dish to prevent the artichokes from drying out or scorching on the bottom as they cook. Cover the dish with a tight layer of aluminum foil and put the baking dish in the center of the oven.
- After 45 minutes, remove the dish from the oven. Test the most tender part of the artichoke, where the stem and the heart meet, with the tip of a knife. The knife should pierce and remove without resistance. Remove the foil and put the dish under a broiler for 5 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Cut each artichoke in half to reveal the stuffing, arrange on serving plates and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 341 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 24 mg |
| Sodium | 592 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 341 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 24 mg |
| Sodium | 592 mg |
Reviews
I made the stuffed artichoke and used both panko season and progresso season bred crumbs used pecorino and Romano cheese. Added some of the lemon water to the pan and for a little more flavor used some of the removed leafs to the pan. I found this to be a fantastic side dish. Thank you chef Alex.
First off this review not meant to criticize Alex simply share my experience with this recipe. My sister made these and we were both very disappointed. The flavor is a little dull. Artichokes required a LOT of work and prep time was WAY longer than 45 minutes. If you have never worked with artichokes let me warn you that the tops have thorns (no fun. As for the”stuffing,” it’s really just a lot of cheese. Bottom line not much flavor for the amount of work it required, Meatballs and sauce on the episode that these appeared in are awesome, and we made them with ground turkey.
I usually stuff artichokes with breadcrumbs, parm, proscuitto, garlic, lemon, and oil and simmer in a garlic, lemon, & wine broth. It’s very delicious. I made Chef Alex G’s recipe tonight and OMG – it was fabulous! I didn’t soak the artichoke in lemon water but rubbed it with lemon. It turned a little brown but it doesn’t matter once it’s cooked. The stuffing is amazing-very tasty. I didn’t think I would like fontina but it was excellent. I love the presentation and prefer it to the stuffed leaf artichoke presentation. I will make this for Thanksgiving.
First, the recipe online is quite different from the video, so watch the video if you wish to try this recipe. By doing so, prep will be much easier. I found this recipe too labor intensive for the end result. Should I ever consider making again (I won’t, I think using season bread cubes like the type used for turkey stuffung, moistened lightly with stock, would be much more flavorful than the bread crumbs.
Bon appetite!!
Bon appetite!!
Love this recipe! The important thing to remember is to make sure you get the artichoke down to the edible parts. My husband loved this recipe!
I was very excited to try this recipe. I made the mistake of making this for guest for the first time. This was ment to be the “Center piece”. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. Not only was it expensive to make as well as time cinsumung,but it totally laked in flavor. the concept is wonderful. But it really needs more. Haven’t vetured back to touch it up. Maybe butter!!!
Amazing recipe.
This is the perfect artichoke recipe, never liked fennel, but I trust Alex! It was amazing!
Alex, This recipe is a WINNER! We cannot get enough of your spectacular side dish. Perfect for artichoke lovers. The artichoke imparts a beautiful component to the stuffing. The flavor of the fennel is very mild. Well worth the effort to remove the choke. I used a grapefruit spoon.
Requires a little work – but tastes delicious! Worth the prep time!