Stuffed Artichokes With Capers And Cornichons Recipes

STUFFED ARTICHOKES WITH CAPERS AND CORNICHONS

Steps:

• Roasted-Garlic Butter: Mash together butter, garlic confit, and lemon zest. Season with salt. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months. (Makes 1/2 cup.)
• Stuffed Artichokes: Halve lemon and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice. Cut second half into wedges. Snap tough outer leaves off artichokes; using a serrated knife, remove top third from each. Trim stems so artichokes stand upright. Rub cut surfaces with juiced lemon half to prevent discoloration.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Add enough water to reach just below basket and bring to a boil. Place artichokes in basket, stem-sides up. Cover and steam, adding more water if necessary, until hearts are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Heat garlic with oil in a small pan over medium until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add capers, cornichons, and reserved lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons garlic butter in small skillet over medium-high heat (reserve remaining garlic butter for another use). Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes.
• Carefully peel back leaves of each artichoke, exposing fuzzy chokes; scoop them out with a spoon. Spoon 1 tablespoon caper mixture into each hollow and sprinkle more between leaves. Divide crumbs among hollows and serve, with remaining sauce and lemon wedges.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Mix 3 cups breadcrumbs, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 cup each grated parmesan, pecorino, chopped parsley and olive oil in a bowl. Trim 4 large artichokes (see Cook's Note), removing the stems. Separate the leaves; stuff the crumb mixture between each. Stand upright in a steamer basket over simmering water, cover and steam over medium-low heat, adding more water as needed, until tender, about 1 hour, 20 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and some of the cooking liquid.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES WITH LEMON ZEST, ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze juice from two lemon halves into water. Cut off artichoke stems, peel them with a vegetable peeler, rub them all over with remaining lemon half (this prevents browning) and drop them into water.
• Use a heavy, sharp knife to cut top 1 1/2 inches off an artichoke. Pull out pale inner leaves from center. At the bottom, where leaves were, is a furry bed, the choke. Use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works wonderfully) to scoop out choke. Next, using kitchen shears or a pair of scissors, trim pointy ends from outer leaves of artichoke. As you work, rub lemon half over cut parts of artichoke. When you are finished trimming, drop artichoke into bowl of lemon water. Repeat with remaining artichokes.
• To prepare stuffing, in a large bowl combine lemon zest, bread crumbs, Parmesan, chopped parsley and rosemary. Mince 6 garlic cloves and add to bowl. Finely chop one carrot and add to bowl along with capers, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss.
• In a small roasting pan or baking pan large enough to hold artichokes, scatter onion slices. Add reserved artichoke stems, 4 sprigs parsley and remaining garlic cloves. Slice remaining carrot into rounds and add to pan.
• Holding artichokes over stuffing bowl, stuff choke cavity and in between the leaves with bread crumb mixture. Stand stuffed artichokes upright in pan and generously drizzle olive oil over center of each artichoke.
• Fill pan with water until it reaches 1/4 way up the artichokes. Add wine and remaining salt and pepper to water. Cover pan with foil and poke several holes in foil. Bake artichokes for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender; when done, a knife should be easily inserted into artichoke and a leaf should be easily pulled out.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Snip the pointed tips of artichoke leaves, and cut off the stems. Wash and drain. Holding artichoke firmly by base, firmly rap the top of it on a hard surface; this will open it so it can be stuffed.
• In a medium bowl combine bread cubes, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, oregano, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, salt and pepper; mix well.
• Press about 1/2 cup of stuffing into each artichoke. Tightly pack stuffed artichokes together in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to reach half way up artichokes and add 3 tablespoons oil.
• Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until leaves pull out easily.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH CAPER-CORNICHON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer over medium heat. Lower eggs into water; cook 9 minutes. Transfer to ice bath; let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel and slice into rounds.
• Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Slowly whisk in oil, then capers, cornichons, and thyme. Season to taste.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Drizzle asparagus lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until crisp-tender and charred in places, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter, top with eggs, and spoon vinaigrette over top; serve.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS, FETA CHEESE, CAPERS, AND BLACK OLIVES

Steps:

• Place the chicken breast halves into a plastic zipper bag. Shake the bottle of Italian dressing and pour into the bag. Seal the bag and shake to thoroughly coat the chicken with the dressing; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking dish with olive oil.
• Remove the chicken breast halves and shake off excess marinade. Discard the leftover marinade. Place the chicken between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
• Mix together the artichoke hearts, olives, capers, and feta cheese in a bowl; spoon about 2 tablespoons of the feta mixture into the middle of each flattened chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast around the filling and secure with toothpicks. Place the rolled chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken has browned and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.