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Artichoke and Bread Fritatta
Frittata di Carciofi con Pane
Serves 6
1 pound baby artichokes
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin (about 1 ½ cups)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1 ½ cups cubed (½-inch) day old bread with crusts removed
Clean the artichokes (see below). Leave them in the acidulated water until you're ready to slice them.
Drain the artichokes thoroughly and rap them, stem side up, on a kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible. Slice them ¼-inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Beat the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and let soak until softened, about 15 minutes.
While the bread is soaking, heat the olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or non-stick skillet with a heatproof handle over medium heat. Add the onions and artichokes cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook, still over medium heat, without stirring, just until the bottom is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. There should be a few bubbles at a time around the edges — any more than that means the frittata is cooking too quickly and the bottom will be too brown. In that case, remove the skillet from the heat, reduce the heat and let the skillet sit a minute or two before returning it to the heat.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook just until the center is set — firm to the touch — about 25 minutes. If the edges are set and beginning to brown before the center is set, remove the frittata from the oven and finish the frittata under a preheated broiler.
If you'd like to serve the frittata hot, let it stand at room temperature about 15 minutes. If you prefer it warm or at room temperature, let it stand a little longer. Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the frittata and shake the pan gently to free the bottom of the frittata. You can serve the frittata right out of the pan or slide it out onto a serving platter.
How to Prepare Artichokes for Cooking
To serve the artichokes whole: Cut the stem flush with the bottom of the artichoke so the cooked artichoke will rest steadily on the plate. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into a large bowl of cool water, and keep the halves close by so you can rub them over the cut surfaces of the artichokes to prevent them form darkening.
1. Cut or pluck off the smaller leaves around the base of the artichoke.
2. Cut off the top third of the artichoke with a serrated knife. If you'd like, snip off the pointy tips of the outermost large leaves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and slip in the lemon halves and the prepared artichokes. Weight the artichokes down with a heatproof plate to keep them submerged as they cook. Boil until the bottom of the artichoke is tender when poked with the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size. To serve and eat the artichoke, remove the artichokes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and drain them upside down in a colander. Stand them leaf-side up on a serving plate. Eat the artichoke by pulling off one leaf at a time and scraping off the pulp between your teeth. You can dip them in melted butter or olive oil first, if you like. When all the leaves have been eaten, enjoy the tender artichoke hearts, scraping off the fuzzy choke that completely cover the heart before you do so.
To prepare the artichokes for stuffing: Trim the artichokes as described above.
1. Gently pull and spread the leaves outward to expose the purple-tipped leaves at the very center. Pull out the purple-tipped leaves to expose the fuzzy choke below.
2. With a small teaspoon or espresso spoon, scrape away the choke all the way down to the artichoke heart — the smooth, firm flesh below the choke. Be sure to scrap the choke from the entire surface of the artichoke heart. The artichoke is now ready for stuffing.
For fully edible artichokes: Cut the stem flush with the bottom of the artichoke so the cooked artichoke will rest steadily on the plate. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into a large bowl of cool water, and keep the halves close by so you can rub them over the cut surfaces of the artichokes to prevent them from darkening.
With a paring knife, trim the base of the leaves flush with the artichoke bottom. Snip or pluck off the outer layers of leaves to expose the leaves that are pale yellow almost all the way to the tip. Cut off the top third of the artichoke leaves with a sturdy serrated knife.
With a vegetable peeler or paring knife, trim the dark outer layer of the artichoke stem. Dip the artichoke in the lemon water as you go to prevent it from darkening. Cut the artichoke in half through the stem.
Scrape out the fuzzy choke with a small teaspoon or espresso spoon. Pull out the inedible purple-tipped leaves, if there are any, that surround the choke. Place the trimmed artichoke halves in the lemon water as you go. These completely edible artichoke halves may be cooked as is or sliced or cut into wedges.