Braised artichokes - Anghinare la cuptor

I love artichokes, hearts or bottoms, canned in water or oil, depending what I am going to make out of them, but I've never prepared them at home until now.
I've been looking at them at the market, and although I was not intimadated by them, I was laizy and chose the more convenient jars. But since now it's their season, I bought 3 artichokes last week and after searching for a recipe for them, I decided to combine a couple and see what will come out.

They came out good, smelling and tasting like summer and sun.

After cleaning them as explained here, there wasn't too much left out of them. Which turned out to be fine, since my husband and daughter did not even touch them. And it is not because they came out bad, but because they never liked them at all. So, I don't know if I will buy fresh ones again, since I am the only one enjoying them.

You could find more recipes on the same website or do your own search.

Here is the recipe:

3 artichokes

3 cloves of garlic

2 lemons

olive oil

fresh thyme

salt & pepper to taste

I cleaned and cut the artichokes in half. As soon as each half was cut, I put them in about 2 quarts of salted water to which I added the juice from one lemon and the squeezed lemon.

I boiled the artichokes for about 20-25 minutes, covered, then strained out and cut them in smaller pieces.

I added the chopped garlic, olive oil, lemons slices (from the second lemon), salt, pepper and fresh thyme to the artichokes and put them in a baking dish, covered with foil and baked them at 350F (175C) for about 30 minutes, then uncovered them and baked for another 10 minutes.

The eating process was not them most elegant thing. Just pull the leaves apart and the ones from the center are very tender, so could be eaten as they are, but the outer leaves are tougher. Pull them through your teeth and eat only the pulp, discard the petals.

Anghinare la cuptor

Imi plac anghinarele conservate in apa sau marinate in ulei de masline, si le-am cumparat de multe ori, dar nu am cumparat nicodata pana acum anghinare proaspete pentru a le gati acasa.

Le-am tot dat tarcoale in magazine sau la piata, si desi nu m-au intimidat cu infatisarea lor, intotdeauna comoditatea ( ca sa nu zic lenea) m-a facut sa le cumpar pe cele gata preparate. Saptamana trecuta insa am cumparat trei proaspete, doar e sezonul nu?, si dupa ce am cautat niste retete, am decis sa combin cateva sa vedem ce iese.

Au iesit tare bunute, mirosind si gustand a vara si soare.

Le-am curatat asa cum e explicat aici si am ramas cu mai nimic din ele. Dar asta nu s-a dovedit o problema, pentru ca ai mei nu mananca anghinare deloc, nici cand le cumpar gata preparate, asa ca a trebuit sa ma sacrific si sa le consum singura. Asa ca nu stiu daca o sa mai cumpar proaspete de acum inainte, tinand cont ca numai eu le mananc, prea multa bataie de cap.

Puteti gasi mai multe retete pe net si chiar pe acelasi website.

Ingrediente:

3 anghinare

3 catei de usturoi

2 lamai intregi

ulei de masline

cimbru proaspat

sare si piper dupa gust

Le-am curatat anghinarele asa cum e explicat in linkul de mai sus, le-am taiat in jumati si le-am pus imediat in apa cu sare la care am adaugat zeama de la o lamaie si jumatatile de lamaie stoarse.

Am fiert anghinarele timp de 25-30 minute, acoperite, la foc potrivit. Le-am scurs de apa si le-am pus intr-un vas termorezistent cu ulei, usturoiul tocat marunt, sare, piper si cimbru. Le-am copt la 175C (foc potrivit) acoperite cu folie de aluminiu timp de 30 minute, apoi am dat folia la o parte si le-am mai tinut la cuptor timp de 10 minute.

Anghinarele nu se mananca "elegant". Petalele din mijloc sunt mult mai moi, asa ca pot fi mancate usor, dar cele din exterior sunt mult prea tari si fibroase. Se smulg una cate una si se trage cu dintii pulpa de pe petala, dupa care se arunca. ( Sa nu radeti prea mult de explicatii, sunt traduse din engleza de balta in romana de cartier dupa cum e explicat pe website-ul de mai sus).