Carciofi Fritti alla Romana
Crispy golden fried Roman artichoke wedges, prepared by trimming fresh globe artichokes down to their tender hearts and crisping them in hot oil with sea salt and fresh lemon.
Ingredients
- • 6 fresh globe or violet artichokes
- • 2 lemons (1 juiced for acidulated water, 1 cut into wedges)
- • 100g Italian Tipo 00 flour or fine semolina
- • Sunflower or mild olive oil for shallow frying
- • Flaky sea salt and fresh mint leaves
Preparation Steps
Prepare a bowl of cold water with fresh lemon juice. Snap off the tough outer dark green leaves of each artichoke until pale tender yellow leaves appear. Trim the stem and pare the base. Slice the trimmed hearts lengthwise into 8 wedges, removing any purple choke, and drop immediately into the lemon water.
Drain the artichoke wedges thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels. Lightly toss in flour or semolina, shaking off any excess in a sieve.
Heat 2cm of oil in a deep skillet to 175°C. Fry the artichoke wedges in batches for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally until golden brown and deliciously crispy.
Lift with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain. Scatter with flaky sea salt and torn fresh mint, serving piping hot with lemon wedges.