Ciao Bella Fried Artichokes Recipes

ROMAN-JEWISH FRIED ARTICHOKES (CARCIOFI ALLA GIUDIA) RECIPE

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with water; halve and squeeze 2 lemons into it. Trim artichokes following Roman-Jewish artichoke guidelines shown here : Remove tough dark green outer leaves to expose more tender light-green leaves within, then, using a paring knife, cut off top half of each leaf and trim base and stem. Trimmed artichokes will look like a closed rosebud. Transfer the peeled artichokes to the bowl of lemon water as you work, covering them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them completely submerged.
• In a large saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 280°F (130°C). Add artichokes (they should produce a steady but non-violent stream of bubbles) and cook until tender (you should be able to pierce their hearts easily with a fork), adjusting heat to maintain a steady bubble, about 10 minutes for baby artichokes and 15 minutes for larger ones. Turn larger artichokes frequently for even cooking.
• Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer artichokes to a paper towel-lined plate. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Using your hands, gently pull open each artichoke "bud" so that it resembles an open flower. If using large artichokes, remove and discard the hair "choke" in the center of the artichoke. Increase oil temperature to 350°F (177°C).
• Fry artichokes until browned and crisp, 2 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season immediately with salt. Transfer to plates and serve right away with wedges of remaining lemon.

DEEP FRIED BABY ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl halfway with water. Squeeze the lemon halves into the water and add the lemons. Trim the stem of 1 artichoke. Starting at the base, bend the tough outer leaves back and pull off where they break naturally. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the dark green skin from the base. Halve the artichoke lengthwise and scoop out any choke. Add to the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
• Heat the oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat until a thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Drain the artichokes and pat dry. Working in 2 batches, add the artichokes to the hot oil and cook until they are tender and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the fried artichokes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt while artichokes are still warm and serve.

FRIED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, remove the outer leaves, and trim the artichoke down to the choke. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the woody outermost layer of the stem.
• Use a spoon to remove the inedible hairy leaves and slice into quarters. Place the artichokes in a bowl of water with some lemon juice to keep the artichoke from oxidizing or turning brown.
• Add the flour to a casserole dish and whisk in some salt and pepper.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a high-sided skillet or Dutch oven.
• Dredge the artichokes in the flour, shaking off the excess. Once the oil is hot, slip the artichokes in the hot oil and fry for about 4 to 5 minutes, using tongs to flip them from time to time.
• Transfer the artichokes and let drain on a paper towel-lined platter and sprinkle with salt.
• Serve with Fish Tacos.
• For the pico de gallo: Mix together the tomatoes, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro and onions in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the radishes: Slice the radishes in half lengthwise, then into thin half-moons (and a few into quarter moons, if you want, for varied texture). Toss the radishes together with the anchovies, parsley and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the fish tacos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, semolina flour, baking powder, sea salt and some pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the beer and set aside.
• Add enough canola oil to a large cast-iron or other low-sided skillet to come halfway up the sides. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (Use a deep fry thermometer to be sure - or do it the grandma way and add a piece of bread to see if it fries and browns - if it does, it's ready).
• Slice the tilapia into 1/2-inch strips or "finger"-size pieces.
• When the oil is hot, dip each piece of tilapia into the batter using tongs, allowing excess to drip off. Carefully add to the hot oil one piece at a time. Fry in batches until golden brown and the fish is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spider or skimmer and drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, warm the tortillas by wrapping them in foil and placing them in the oven for 10 minutes. To serve, place one piece of fish on a warmed tortilla. Top with shredded lettuce and an avocado slice. Serve with a lemon wedge, pico de gallo and radishes with anchovies.

FRIED ARTICHOKE SANDWICH

Steps:

• To make the cabbage slaw, combine the purple cabbage with 1 tablespoon of the jalapeño ranch and all the lime juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the fried artichokes.
• To make the fried artichokes, in a deep fryer or in a large heavy- bottom pot with a thermometer attached heat the fryer oil to 360°F. If using a pot, it should be around a third full of oil. Set aside a large baking sheet with a wire rack on top to place the fried artichokes on. Do not rest them on paper towels as they will become soggy.
• Drain the artichoke hearts from the can or jar and cut them in half if they're whole. Gently squeeze out any excess water from the artichoke pieces by patting between paper towels or with a clean tea towel so that the artichokes aren't super wet.
• To a large mixing bowl, add ½ cup of the gluten-free flour. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup of the flour, the cornstarch, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne.
• Once the oil is to temperature, add 1 cup of the club soda to the flour mixture to start and gently whisk until combined. Add more club soda as needed to ensure the batter is loose enough to dip and dredge the artichokes but thick enough that it sticks and doesn't run right off too much. (The amount of liquid varies, as I find gluten-free flours to have varying hydration levels.) Use one hand to coat 4 or 5 artichoke halves in the flour dredge and then coat one piece at a time in the liquid batter. Lift each piece from the batter and let the excess drip off. Quickly place the battered artichokes directly in the hot oil and fry the first batch for 4 to 6 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
• Use a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs to place the artichokes onto the wire rack, and continue frying in batches.
• To make the sandwiches, lightly toast the buns. Spread the remain- ing jalapeño ranch on the inside of the top and bottom buns. Add the purple cabbage slaw to the bottom bun and top with pickles, 4 or 5 fried artichoke pieces, and the top bun.

CIAO BELLA BAKED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Peel back dark green leaves of artichokes until you get to the tender center. Cut top of artichoke about half way down and remove choke if necessary. Cut artichokes in 4 quarters. Par boil with juice of 1/2 lemon until fork tender.
• Drain artichokes and place in a 9" x 13" pan. Sprinkle ingredients over top evenly and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy!

FRIED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl. Fill a large bowl with water and add juice and rinds of lemons. Set both bowls aside.
• Using a sharp paring or bird's beak knife, shave off the tough outer leaves of artichokes until you reach the tender pale green or yellow leaves and create a bulbous shape. Cut off at least an inch of the thorny top. Trim the stem near the heart, peeling off the outer green fiber and leaving about 2 inches of stem if possible. Immediately put the artichokes in the lemon water to prevent browning.
• Fill an electric fryer or deep cast-iron enameled pot with enough oil to almost cover artichokes. Heat to 325 degrees. While oil is heating, dry artichokes well with paper towels. Tap the flat top of the cut artichoke against the table to loosen the leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, rubbing in the seasoning.
• Fry artichokes in batches. Cook, turning occasionally with tongs, for about 15 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the stem at its thickest point. The outside should be bronzed.
• Remove artichokes from oil and drain well, stem side up, on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Gently open leaves to remove choke (using a grapefruit spoon or melon baller) and encourage the leaves to spread. You can now freeze them or leave them out, stem side up, for a few hours until ready to finish.
• When ready to serve, reheat the oil to 350. Working in batches again, return artichokes, stem side up, to hot oil just to crisp. Drain well and serve immediately with a sprinkle of salt. Eat with your fingers.

CIAO BELLA FRIED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Remove tough outer layers of artichoke leaves to reveal tender center. Leaves should be lighter in color. Cut top half of artichoke off, almost half way down. Remove choke if necessary. Trim stem and peel outer layer.
• Cut each artichoke "heart" vertically into 4-5 slices. Place slices in a bowl of water with half a lemon squeezed in to prevent browning.
• Preheat about an inch of oil in a large skillet, about 350 degrees.
• Now make a dipping station. Place flour in one dish or bowl. Combine eggs,parmesan cheese,onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in another dish or bowl.
• Remove artichokes from water and dry thoroughly. Dip in flour, remove excess. Dip in egg mixture and fry in oil for about 5-7 minutes per side or until golden brown and tender. Place on paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!