Roberto's Fresh Artichoke Salad from Cocktail Italiano
It's the last week of Juice January, so I'm giving it an incredible, celebratory send-off with this recipe from Cocktail Italiano.When I found baby artichokes at Fresh Market in my neighborhood, I thought it was a fluke. Maybe a food stylist had special ordered them? But much to surprise they have appeared more regularly over the past few weeks this winter.I had taken a photo and posted them on an Instagram story, and Nicole, my web manager, messaged me asking what they were. I told her they were baby artichokes. She asked what I was going to do with them, and I told her that I was going to make Roberto's fresh artichoke salad, using the baby artichokes fresh. I explained that the recipe was in Cocktail Italiano and that she should try it. She suggested I put it here on the blog, so I listened to her, and here it is!I had never eaten a raw artichoke until about twelve years ago—and, of course, it was in Italy.We were visiting our best friends in Genova, Forrest and Roberto, chatting away in the kitchen, when Roberto (who’s actually an Italian Prince from the region of Savona on the Riviera) grabbed a few baby artichokes, and began running them under cold water. He patted them dry and quickly ran them through a mandolin, slicing them paper-thin. He put them in a bowl, and proceeded to douse them in Ligurian olive oil, added salt and a flourish of lemon juice, and finished it all off with shaved Parmesan. While Forrest poured a lovely chilled Verimentivo, we snacked on raw artichokes and sipped vino. For me, this was for me a whole new way of enjoying artichokes.Let me know if you give this recipe a try. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do.Here’s Roberto’s recipe for fresh artichoke salad. Tip: make sure that the artichokes are very fresh and tender.
Roberto's Fresh Artichoke Salad
Serves 8
You will need:
- 2 pounds (about 20) tender baby artichokes Note: you may substitute the interior soft leaves and heart of larger artichokes, but do not use the tough outer leaves
- 2 lemons, halved
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 ounces Parmesan
To prepare:
Trim away any tough outer leaves of the artichokes to expose their tender pale green interior. Using a knife with a serrated-blade, cut off the spiky top 1/3 of the artichokes. (Note: baby artichokes will not have the spikes.) Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layers around the base and stem.Using a mandolin, slice the artichokes paper-thin and transfer to medium bowl. Squeeze the lemon halves over the artichokes, and toss with the oil. Sprinkle with salt, and use a potato peeler to shave the Parmesan over the salad. Serve in small bowls.