I found beautiful fresh artichokes at the local market last night. This delicious traditional Maltese recipe came to my mind immediately.
It is one of my most favourite local dishes. Artichokes are filled with a tasty mixture of tuna and Mediterranean herbs and delicacies.
My only variation to the original recipe is the grated lemon zest, which I have added to give the recipe an additional sensation of freshness and Mediterranean touch.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4artichokes
- 200tuna in brine
- 10pitted olives
- 3 spoonsextra-virgin olive oil
- 3anchovies filetts in oil (optional)
- 2 spoonscapers
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 2 slicesMaltese bread (if a bit stale better)
- 2 sprigsfresh parsley
- 2 pinchesground black pepper
- 1lemon (zest only)
- 1 pinchtable salt
Preparation
– put the anchovies fillets, half of capers, the pitted olives, the parsley and the garlic into a food processor;
– pulse till you have reduced them to a ground mixture;
– transfer the obtained mixture into a large bowl;
– grind the bread and add it too;
– add the drained tuna and mix well;
– add the remaining capers, oil and the grated lemon zest;
– mix everything together well;
– trim the artichokes stem and remove the ragged leaves and their bases;
– use a sharp knife to trim the tip of the artichokes by making sure to remove the sharpest parts;
– open the artichokes with your hands and stuff them with the previously prepared mixture;
– place the artichokes in a pot making sure they stick to each other tightly;
– fill 1/3 of the pot with boiling water, cover with a lid and allow the artichokes to slowly steam for about 45-60 minutes (according to the size of the artichokes);
– serve warm and eat by starting from the most external leaves (by sucking the softer base of the leaf together with the tuna mixture), then proceed to the inner part and heart of the flower which is softer and chewable.
