Artichokes (mammole) Idilia Style
The artichoke is one of the most prized and delicious vegetables in the garden. In Italy artichokes can be found throughout the winter period and there are at least ten types of artichokes. I’ll try to list some of them for you: in the Venetian lagoon we find the Violet Artichoke of Sant’Erasmo; in Luguria in the province of Imperia in Perinaldo you will find the Violet Artichoke of Perinaldo (it seems to have been Napoleon’s favourite); in the Livorno area in Val di Cornia, the Violetto di Toscana artichoke appears; the Roman artichoke or Ladispoli artichoke, famous as violet, is born in Lazio; another Roman artichoke is the white artichoke of Pertosa… the Paestum artichoke; at the foot of Vesuvius, the Violetta di Castellamare variety has been growing since Roman times; On the islands, in Sicily, there is the greatest Italian production of artichokes such as the violet artichoke and the spiny artichoke of Menfi, then I found the spiny artichoke of Sardinia. Each type has its own peculiarities and the ways of cooking change according to traditions.
This plant of Mediterranean origins belongs to the Asteraceae family, perennial, herbaceous and rhizomatous. Artichokes are a vegetable rich in mineral salts: a lot of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, sodium, calcium, copper, zinc and selenium. Artichokes also contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and luteins, but don’t worry about your figure: almost 40Kcal per 100g(3.52 oz) of artichokes!
The liver is the organ that benefits greatly from the beneficial power of the artichoke: it is detoxifying, purifying and detoxifying. Eating the artichoke improves liver function, counteracts various liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis and jaundice; however, they should not be consumed during breastfeeding or in the presence of gallstones.
I’ll reveal to you my mother-in-law Idilia’s recipe, may she rest in peace! For me, this recipe is the best way to enjoy this fantastic vegetable presented as a single dish. To make this fantastic recipe you need very few ingredients: 4 artichokes (mammole), 3 cloves of garlic, 2 lemons, parsley and raw ham. For cooking I need extra virgin olive oil and water.
First of all I recommend you put on gloves or rub your hands with lemon pulp, and yes… artichokes blacken your skin!
Start by cutting the stems, then peel the outer part with a knife and cut them into cubes.
Cut the stripped stems into rounds and immerse them in a bowl filled with water and the juice of 2 squeezed lemons. Remove several layers of the outer leaves of the artichokes and then cut more than half the artichoke into small pieces, eliminating the external part of the artichoke tip.
With a tool (corer) or simply with a knife, remove the central part of the artichoke (it must be eliminated).
Immerse the artichokes upside down in the water with the lemon. Take a piece of raw ham and cut it into slices and place them on a plate.
Cook the raw ham slice in the microwave or in a pan for a few minutes. Once cooked, let cool then cut into small pieces. Place the pieces of ham, garlic and parsley in a food processor. Run for a few minutes.
When everything is chopped, put the sauce on a plate and divide it into 4 (one part for each artichoke). Start filling each artichoke with its share of seasoning.
Place a deep pan (cast iron or terracotta) on the heat, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, insert the artichokes into the pan and then cover with water up to the level of almost half the artichoke. Place the lid on and cook over a low heat for about an hour.
Ha, ha, now comes the strangest thing and I think this is the reason why it’s difficult to find artichokes in restaurants: artichokes are eaten with the fingers, the fork and knife are used only at the end. It is eaten by taking each artichoke leaf with 2 fingers of each hand, as if using tongs, then inserting it between the teeth with the outside of the leaf facing upwards, pressing lightly with the teeth and removing it so that it remains in the mouth. only the artichoke pulp!! The leaf is then obviously thrown away. In the end we get to the filling which is indescribably delicious!
Buon Appetito!!