Fried artichokes (carciofi fritti)

Artichokes are traditionally served as an antipasto or a snack with drinks. This impressive winter vegetable is an excellent digestive, eaten raw or infused in a liqueur called Cynar. When Vivienne and I were recently driving around the outskirts of Fasano, with carpets of artichoke-laden fields on either side of the road, we fantasised about what we could make with the strange-looking flower heads. After a lengthy discussion of the many cooking possibilities, we decided they would be best battered and fried, then washed down with a glass of the local wine, Bombino bianco.

Credit: Sharing Puglia

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 100 g parmesan, grated
• 200 ml olive oil, for deep-frying
• Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dredging
• 6 artichokes, cleaned and sliced lengthways

Instructions

Put the eggs in a bowl and mix thoroughly with the parsley and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil to 160ºC in a large, deep frying pan over medium–high heat.

Put the flour in a wide bowl or on a plate. Dip the cleaned and sliced artichokes first in the flour, then coat them in the egg mixture and put them into the hot oil. Fry for about 5 minutes. Check the bottoms to see if the artichokes are golden and then turn them over and cook for a further 5 minutes. If needed, add extra olive oil. When ready, drain the artichoke on paper towel and season to taste before serving. These artichokes can be eaten hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe and images from Sharing Puglia by Luca Lorusso and Vivienne Polak (Hardie Grant Books, $49.95, hbk).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.