Anchovy Breadcrumb-Stuffed Artichokes | "Rachael Ray 50" Cookbook

Trim the bottoms and edges of the lower leaves of the artichokes and rub with 1 cut lemon. Fill a large pot of water and add the juice of 2 lemons. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce heat to maintain a medium rolling boil. Add salt. Add the artichokes and cook them for about 20 minutes in boiling water, until the leaves pull easily away. Drain on kitchen towels until cool enough to handle. Pull out center leaves down to hairy fibrous choke. Scrape the choke out carefully with a small spoon. Clean all artichokes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add EVOO. Add butter and melt it into the oil. When it foams, add the anchovies and melt them into oil—they will dissipate as the heat works on them and become a natural, nutty salt flavoring for the oil and butter. Add garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, until deeply golden. Remove pan from heat. 

Place parsley and mint in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to finely chopped. Add the parsley and mint to the breadcrumbs. Add zest of 1 lemon and stir in cheeses. 

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Place the artichokes in a large baking dish. Fill the leaves from the outside into the heart with breadcrumbs, mounding a bit more at the center over the heart. Add water to a depth of ⅛ inch in the bottom of the dish and cover the dish with foil. 

Roast the artichokes for about 20 minutes, until heated through. Uncover the dish and drizzle with more EVOO. Roast for another 20 minutes, until tips of leaves curl and brown stuffing is set. Douse the artichokes with the juice of 1 lemon and serve. Pull several leaves onto appetizer dishes per person and place 1 to 2 bowls on the table to collect the outer leaves. The hearts are first come first served!