Artichokes A La Polita From My Greek Table
This classic Greek recipe for artichokes belongs in the canons of “astiki” or bourgeois cuisine, a great dish that is both healthy and elegant. When such things were of value, it also showed off the skill of the home cook, almost always the lady of the house. It’s one of the great recipes of the Greek kitchen, and now it finds its place among the roster of great recipes from My Greek Table! Pair this with a crisp Santorini Assyrtico wine.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups cold water
- 2 lemons
- ½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil plus more for finishing
- 4 medium-size carrots peeled and sliced into ¼ inch rounds
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh fennel
- 2 medium-size white onions finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 4 medium size potatoes peeled and chopped in ½ inch pieces
- 4 to 6 scallions chopped
- Sea salt
- 2 to 3 tsp all-purpose flour
- 6 to 8 artichokes
- A pinch of sugar
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Juice from 2 lemons
- A cup of water
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions
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Prepare a large bowl filled with two cups of cold water mixed with the strained juice of 2 lemons.
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Clean the artichokes: Cut off all but 1 inch of artichoke stems but don’t discard them. Cut away tough outer leaves and chop off to 1 to 1 ½ inches from the top of each artichoke. Open the flowers and scrape out the choke using a teaspoon or potato peeler. Cut away tough outer parts of the stem leaving only the tender white core, and clean the leaves away from the entire artichoke so that only the heart remains. Rub each artichoke with half a lemon as soon as you clean it, and then submerge it immediately in lemon water to keep it from turning brown. The artichokes should look like inverted champagne glasses. Soak until ready to use. Continue with the remaining artichokes.
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In a large, wide pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the carrots and fennel until softened about 7 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook all together until translucent. Add the potatoes and scallions, season with salt, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, gently stir everything together, and add artichokes and sugar. Add pepper, lemon juice, and a cup of water.
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Cover pot and simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender and artichokes and stems are cooked.
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Sprinkle with dill and drizzle some olive oil. Serve warm.
