Roasted Garlic- and Romano- stuffed Artichokes
Ingredients
  • whole artichoke(s)the number will depend on your number of guests (as an appetizer one decent-size artichoke can serve 2-3)
  • 6whole clovespeeled garlic (per artichoke)
  • 2whole lemons(fresh – for juice)
  • 1whole lime(fresh – for juice)
  • 2-3T. Extra virgin olive oil(per artichoke)
  • 4T. romano cheesefreshly grated (Parmesan may be substituted or mixed with Romano for more complex flavor)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Rinse the outermost portion of the artichoke and gently pat dry (tip choke upside down to release water from inside layers).
  3. Using kitchen shears, snip off the pointy leaf tips – including the interior leaves you can easily reach – and discard the tips (the leaf edges will now be blunted). With a sharp knife, cut
  4. the stem/base, so the artichoke can stand upright on its own. Place each artichoke on its own sheet of aluminum (make sure the aluminum piece is large enough to entirely – but loosely – cover the artichoke).
  5. Gently spread open the innermost portion/middle of the artichoke and stuff it with 6 peeled, raw garlic cloves.
  6. Squeeze the juice of the two lemons and one lime into and atop the entire artichoke and over the garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil over and into the artichoke. Finish it off with the 4 Tablespoons of Romano cheese.
  7. Loosely, but completely wrap the entire artichoke in aluminum foil, pinching the ends of the foil together above the artichoke to keep the heat and flavors contained.
  8. Place the foiled artichoke on a cookie sheet and roast at 425 F for approximately 1 hour and 15-20 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Note: Ovens vary, so be sure to check the artichoke for doneness around the 1-hour mark. It is ready when the garlic cloves are tender the artichoke leaves can be pulled off easily. Dip the bases of the tender leaves in melted lemon butter, working your way inward toward the cheesy, garlic-y center. When the meaty portion of all leaves have been eaten, use a spoon to gently remove the fine threads at the base of the choke. Underneath you will find the most tender, flavorful heart, which can be easily cut in two with a butter knife or fork, and savored with the melted lemon butter.

Note: Instead of butter, I prefer using ghee (clarified butter with no milk fat).

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