Roman-Jewish Fried Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia) Recipe

一个fine example of the Roman-Jewish mastery of deep frying techniques.

Overhead view of fried artichoke hearts plattered with lemon wedges.
Fried artichokes, one of the many gems of Roman-Jewish cuisine. .

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • 一个two-stage cooking process first tenderizes the artichokes, then crisps them.
  • 一个choice between olive oil and neutral oil lets you opt for more flavor from the oil, or more flavor from the artichoke (see notes).

I don't think Jews get enough credit for being expert fryers. Here in the States, Jewish cuisine is most famous for Ashkenazi dishes like chopped liver, matzo balls, and gefilte fish, but there's a whole world beyond that, and some of the best of it is fried.

The most obvious examples might be the fried foods of Hanukkah, likepotato latkes, which symbolize the story of a very short supply of oil burning for a full eight days. But dig a little deeper and there's so much more. For instance, did you know thatfish and chips was likely introduced to the UK by Sephardic Jews moving from the Iberian peninsula, where fried fish had been a Sabbath staple?

Perhaps the most remarkable fried Jewish foods, though, belong to Italy, and Rome specifically, where the tradition of frying blossomed in the ghetto where Roman Jews were confined from the 16th through 19th centuries.* They fried all sorts of things, from fish and meats to fruits and vegetables. It's within this tradition that carciofi alla giudia, Roman-Jewish fried artichokes, were born.

*Little-known related fact: Most of the vendors selling Catholic tchotchkes around the Vatican are (and pretty much always have been) Roman Jews.

In Rome, they use a variety of artichokes called cimaroli that is free from thorns and the hairy central choke, which means you can trim them, cook them, and eat them without worrying about the choke. If you can't find that variety, you have a couple of options. You can use baby artichokes, which I've done in the photos here. They're small enough that the choke isn't an issue. Or you can use full-size artichokes, but you'll have to remove the choke before serving. Since carciofi all giudia involves a two-step process—cooked first in lower temperature oil until tender and then a second time on higher heat to crisp them up—I find that it's easiest to remove the choke after the first frying, when the artichokes are tender but not yet crispy.

Whether you use baby artichokes or large ones, the trimming method for Roman-Jewish fried artichokes is the same (aside from the choke-removal part), which I'vedocumented with step-by-step photos in my artichoke prep guide: Pull off the tough outer leaves until you've exposed the lighter-colored inner ones, then use a paring knife to slice off the top portions of all the remaining leaves, and trim the stem with a paring knife or peeler.

Collage of gloved hands holding a paring knife, rotating around an artichoke heart to cut off remaining bracts.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

The result will be more closely trimmed than an artichoke destined for steaming, but less trimmed than if you were preparing just the hearts. It should look something like a closed rosebud.

一个couple of trimmed artichoke hearts in a spider being lowered into hot oil.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

To cook the artichokes, start by lowering them gently into oil that's heated to about 280°F (138°C). The exact temperature isn't super critical—it just needs to be hot enough to cook them but not so hot that they're rapidly frying (otherwise, you risk burning the outsides before the insides are done). Look for a steady but non-violent stream of bubbles rising out of the artichokes. This should take about 10 minutes for baby artichokes and 15 minutes for larger ones. Larger artichokes don't have to be fully submerged in the oil, but you'll need to turn them every minute or so to cook them evenly.

Side-by-side comparison of deep-frying in canola and olive oils.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

I've tested this recipe in neutral canola oil and the more traditional extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil gives the artichokes a stronger flavor, whereas canola oil allows the pure flavor of the artichoke to shine through. I like both, though I lean towards using olive oil since it delivers that essential Mediterranean flavor. (Some folks question the health or flavor aspects of frying in olive oil. After much research and testing, I don't worry about it, and you canread all about why right here.)

You'll know the artichokes are done with their first round of cooking when you can pierce them easily with a fork. I transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool.

Tender fried artichoke hearts after first round of frying.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

When they're cool enough to handle, I gently pry open the leaves to create the look of a blooming flower—the signature appearance of Roman-Jewish fried artichokes. This is when it's easiest to remove the choke on large artichokes, using a spoon to scrape it out.

Double-fried

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

I bring the oil up to 350°F (177°C) and drop the "bloomed" artichokes back in. Now they'll fry quickly, browning and crisping. When they look good (only a matter of a minute or two), take them out and put them on fresh paper towels to drain again.

With fried foods, it's always good to season with salt while still hot so that it adheres well.

Golden fried salted artichoke hearts plattered with two lemon wedges.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Put a lemon wedge or two on the side, and then send some thanks to the resourceful Jews who managed to create some pretty delicious food in an otherwise harsh living situation.

March 2015

Recipe Details

Roman-Jewish Fried Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia) Recipe

Prep25 mins
Cook25 mins
一个ctive45 mins
Total50 mins
服务4to 6 servings

一个fine example of the Roman-Jewish mastery of deep frying techniques.

华体会应用下载

  • 3lemons, divided

  • 3poundsartichokes(about 24 baby artichokes or 6 large artichokes)

  • 1 to 2quartsof extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, orvegetable oil, for frying

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Fill a large bowl with water; halve and squeeze 2 lemons into it. Trim artichokes followingRoman-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.

    Collage of removing outer leaves (bracts) from artichoke, beginning with tough, green outermost leaves and finishing with softer, yellow leaves inside.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    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.

    Cleaned artichoke hearts floating with lemon halves in a metal bowl of water.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  2. 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.

    Deep-frying large trimmed artichoke hearts.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  3. 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).

    Lifting fried artichoke hearts out of hot oil with spider.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Close-up of hands gently prying open the leaves of fried artichoke heart.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  4. 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.

    Sprinkling salt on fried artichoke hearts drained on paper towel-lined bowls.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Notes

Olive oil is more traditional and will give more of the characteristics of Mediterranean flavor, whereas neutral oils like vegetable or canola oil will let more of the pure artichoke flavor shine through.

Special Equipment

Large deep saucepan, wire mesh spider or slotted spoon,probeorinstant-read thermometer

Read More

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
206 Calories
18g Fat
11g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
一个mount per serving
Calories 206
% Daily Value*
Total Fat18g 24%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol0mg 0%
Sodium255mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
总糖1克
Protein2g
Vitamin C 16mg 81%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 244mg 5%
* %每日价值(DV)告诉你多少营养ent in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)