Fried Artichoke with Parmesan Cream & Bottarga

1h 20m

When combined with cheese, these artichokes create a simple but decadent and special dish that can be served as a side dish or as an appetizer.

Artichokes are very rich ingredient and easy to use. They can be intimidating for the home cook and are not often used outside of professional kitchens. With a little practice, they can become a lot less scary and a staple in the home kitchen!

Add 2 cups of heavy cream to a saucepan over medium heat
Simmer the cream, stirring occasionally until reduced by half. Be careful so it does not overflow
Remove from heat and transfer it to a blender
Add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Add 1 cup of grated pecorino cheese
Blend on medium speed until smooth and creamy. The parmesan & pecorino cream is ready
Remove the outer leaves of 2 artichokes with your hands. Cut the stalks and the top of the artichokes
Press the inside of the artichokes with the knife's handle. Roll the artichokes to soften them and trim the stalks to make them look like flower stems
Squeeze ½ lemon in a container with water. Add the artichokes
Add the peel of 1 lemon to a pan with water over medium heat. Salt to taste
Put the artichokes in the pan
Cover the pan and cook the artichokes for 10m until al dente
Remove the artichokes from the water. Let them cool and drain on a rack
Heat 1 l of vegetable oil at 180 °C. Reshape the artichokes and put them in the pan
Fry until golden and crispy. Remove from the oil. Let them cool and drain on a rack
Add flaky salt to taste
Put 2 tbsp of the parmesan & pecorino cream on a plate. Grate bottarga and lemon peel to taste. Place the fried artichoke next to the cream and garnish with mint leaves. Add flaky salt to taste
The fried artichoke with parmesan & pecorino cream and bottarga is ready. Enjoy!