Stuffed Artichokes with Leeks and Fresh Herbs

2018-02-23 15:30:25

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375.
To clean your artichokes: Cut off 1 inch of the stem, and carefully cut the artichoke in half. Use a paring knife or spoon to cut out the hairy/spiky choke in the center. Use a large knife or kitchen shears to cut off 1 inch of the leaves of the artichoke, opposite the stem end. Place into a pot of cold water. Repeat with all of your artichokes. Gently squeeze 1/2 a lemon into the pot, then drop the whole thing in. Add a handful of salt, about a TBS.
Blanching the artichokes: This will make them tender and less bitter. Bring the pot of water with the cleaned artichokes and lemon to a boil on the stove. As soon as it boils, turn it off and remove the artichokes to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Make a quick filling: In a saute pan, heat the olive oil or butter. On medium heat, saute the leeks and garlic for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the herbs, breadcrumbs or cooked rice, tomatoes, goat cheese, and beaten egg. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Put the blanched artichokes in a baking dish with the scooped out cavity facing upward. Use a spoon to put a heaping mound of filling in the cavity of each one. Top with a bit more breadcrumbs, if you like. Drizzle the 1 cup water around the artichokes (not on the filling) and bake for 30 minutes until filling is golden brown and delicious.

Notes