Artichokes in White Wine, or Cioci al Vin Bianco: Artichokes are among the most popular winter vegetables in the Vicentino, and Amedeo Sandri says the local custom is to clean them "perhaps too well," stripping almost all the leaves away to obtain what is primarily the choke. Here they are then cooked in white wine. To serve 4:
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 large artichokes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- A small bunch parsley, minced
- A large clove of garlic
- Half a bouillon cube
- Freshly minced thyme to taste
- Pepper
- A lemon
Preparation:
Begin by cutting the lemon in half and squeezing it into a bowl of water; add the lemon halves as well. Strip away all the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, trim the tips, cut off the stems at the base and trim away the insertions of the leaves, cut the artichokes in half, scoop out any fuzz you may find in their hearts, and put them in the acidulated water to keep them from discoloring.
Mince the parsley and the garlic, and sauté them in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot; cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring the artichokes about every now and again. At this point crumble the bouillon cube into the pot, pepper them, and add a little thyme. Continue cooking for another five minutes, keeping the flame low lest they color, and then sprinkle a half cup of dry white wine over them. Cover, and simmer over a low flame for about 40 minutes, by which time the artichokes will have absorbed all the liquid and will be as tender as can be.
Transfer them to a heated serving dish and serve at once.
A Wine? White, Tocai Bianco dei Berici.
Mince the parsley and the garlic, and sauté them in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot; cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring the artichokes about every now and again. At this point crumble the bouillon cube into the pot, pepper them, and add a little thyme. Continue cooking for another five minutes, keeping the flame low lest they color, and then sprinkle a half cup of dry white wine over them. Cover, and simmer over a low flame for about 40 minutes, by which time the artichokes will have absorbed all the liquid and will be as tender as can be.
Transfer them to a heated serving dish and serve at once.
A Wine? White, Tocai Bianco dei Berici.
