18 artichokes

For the stuffing
1 1/2 cup home-made (unseasoned) breadcrumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup prosciutto, finely diced (optional)
3 small tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded, and finely diced
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For stewing
about 10 cups chicken broth
2 (19 oz) cans of broad ["fava"] beans,* retaining the liquid they are in**


*The Unico brand is the best as its cans contain the green-colored Italian-style "fava" beans

** Peas can be substituted for broad ["fava"] beans

o Make chicken broth.

o Clean artichokes, discarding the outer leaves that are too tough.

o Make the cheese, egg and breadcrumb stuffing.

o Stuff the center of the artichokes.

o Bring the broth to boil and place the stuffed artichokes in the chicken broth, adding some of the outer leaves that were discarded for being too tough.

o Simmer the stuffed artichokes for about an hour.

o Add the liquid (but NOT the beans) from the broad bean cans.

o Simmer the artichokes for another hour.

o Add the broad beans and simmer for about 10 minutes.

o Serve warm.

For the past 50 years or so my mother has been using more or less this recipe to make "stuffed artichokes" (Of course, she does vary the recipe depending on what she has at hand, sometimes, for example, she uses prosciutto in the stuffing and sometimes she doesn't; sometimes she uses canned tomatoes and sometimes she uses fresh tomatoes etc.). While this recipe is how most people from Molise do "stuffed artichokes" nowadays in Montreal, Canada, and possibly how most well-to-do Italians did them prior to World War II, it is not the recipe subsistence farmers would have used. As "stuffed artichokes" was an everyday meal, and not one that was given to guests, subsistence farmers would have kept the number of ingredients at a minimum to decrease the cost. Subsistence farmers, as were my mother's parents, ate very simple meals. For the simpler and cheaper version of this recipe check out, "Poor Man's Stuffed Artichokes." Photo: Mary Melfi.

Back to main list