Braised Artichokes with Peas
Today is the first recipe in the Vegetable chapter of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I think you’ll really like this chapter, and there are many recipes for cooking vegetables in ways you’ve probably never cooked them.
Today, my recipe is Braised Artichokes with Peas. This was a very simple and delicious recipe. Simple, as long as you don’t mind dealing with a fresh artichoke. One of the really helpful aspects of this cookbook is that Marcella goes into great detail about how to work with the basic ingredients. In this case, how to clean and prepare an artichoke. In this recipe, after you’ve done that, you place chopped onion and olive oil in a pan and cook until the onion is lightly golden. You then add garlic, and again cook until lightly golden. You then add the artichoke that’s been cut in wedges and some water, cover the pot, and simmer until the artichokes are tender. At this point, you add the peas (I had to use frozen as there was no fresh available), and cook about 5 mintues. Finish with salt and pepper.
You’re right, Cindy. I’ve been looking forward to this chapter for some fresh inspiration, too.
A pity that you are getting to vegetables in dead of winter, although the seasons in the market are not as distinct as they once used to be. The artichokes in the photo, and the ones I used when I originally wrote that recipe, appear to be the large globes. They are quite okay for braising, but what I am using now, especially when I need to brown them, are the small artichokes that fortunately keep appearing in the market. They cook faster, they are more tender, and sweeter.
Deborah responds:
Marcella, when we started the process, we gave ourselves permission to cook ahead on the vegetables so we could take advantage of their peak seasons. So many of the entries you will be seeing in this chapter have already been written and are just waiting for their appropriate day to post.