This Italian classic is a as simple and rustic as food can be. It also happens to be as delicious as food can be!
serves 3
Ingredients
- 12 baby artichokes
- enough olive oil and or peanut oil to deep fry (depends on your fryer)
- salt and pepper
- lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
1. Trim away a few of the tough outer leaves of each artichoke, Then chop off about ⅓ of the top of the artichoke and trimmed the stem down so that the artichoke will sit flat.
2. Use your fingers to pry and prod the leaves open some. Then invert the artichoke and gently flattened it a bit more using the palm of your hand. Gently is the key word here. They break easy. Drop each artichoke in acidulated water until ready to use.
3. The first fry is to blanch only so heat your oil to 300 degree F oil. Dry the artichokes off well before continuing. Drop a few at time into the oil for about 2 minutes. Remove them to a paper towel lined plate to drain (upside down). Work in batches so that you do not crowd the fryer.
4. When you are ready to serve the artichokes raise the temperature of the oil to 360 degrees F. They will sizzle and get brown and crunchy quickly; about 2 minutes total frying time should do it. Again, work in batches, and turn them over in the oil a few times while cooking.
5. Drain them well and give them a good sprinkle of excellent salt and a bit of pepper. A little spritz of lemon juice is good too. But you MUST eat them hot to fully enjoy their textures!
That kind of marketing drives me nuts — the producer of the pasta must know you can’t cook all three for the same length of time, so why sell them mixed together? In any case, the salad looks lovely — orzo is a favorite salad pasta for me, because its small size pairs well with subtle ingredients without overwhelming them. Giving this a Stumble for sure 🙂
Hysterical! Go you! But is the jaw still wired shut? Glad your trip to Florida inspired such a fabulous salad! Love it!
is through the stomach. I didn’t have the best time in HS, but NOW, they follow my blog. What? I love papparadelle. I bought some in Colorado last year.
I even thought of selling here but it’s not local,so no go. The other flavors are really good. Sweet potato was my fav.
Love St. Pete and love your orzo salad. Glad you are having a nice time in Florida. I don’t understand why they would sell them together with different cooking times. Go figure.
Sam
There’s orzo in the pantry. You’ve inspired us to use it.
I like the orzo salad with calamari — delicious! That orzo mix would be fun to cook with even though it’s a bit of a challenge with the different cooking times.
“Separating them seems quite silly.”
I would agree except, I have been know to open a bag of lump charcoal and organize it into three piles of large, medium and small pieces, just so I can layer my coal for an overnight cook.
Then again, I often wonder what my neighbors think when they see me vacuuming my grill out once a month:)
I love orzo salads! That dish looks wonderful.
But this has not made its way up here yet, so I am glad for this warning… I have been waiting for the gluten free, but none have surfaced.
That orzo mix is so pretty, but why would they sell them as a mix if they each have different cooking times? It just doesn’t make sense.
Hope your having a great time with your family in florida! The pasta looks great despite the rocky start. Even the best of us have fallen prey to kitchen disasters.
Orzo is one pasta I haven’t tried cooking yet. I’ll have to keep the cooking times in check if I ever get them flavored. But is sounds like you did mighty well for yourself with the final result.
I hope you’re having a good time there in Florida.