It’s like a day that you go out from home and you feel suddenly that everything is different compared to yesterday. It’s sunny and rather warm, the winter jacket feels too much on you, sun glasses are a necessity, people around you are happy enjoying their morning walk under such a nice sun, even the smell you perceive is different. Taking into account that the calendar shows already end of March, you make an easy and logical assumption..Spring is here!
Mussels and Artichoke
Artichoke cooked “alla romana”
artichoke
garlic
mint
salt/pepper
olive oil
water
- Coat your hands and the artichoke with some lemon juice to prevent browning. Cut and remove the top half of the artichoke and peel using a paring knife by removing the external leafs up to a point that they get yellow/white. Cut and discard the lower part of the stem. Peel the rest cutting off the outer fibrous part up to the base of the artichoke. Open by hand the artichoke flower and remove from the hart the hairy choke with a spoon. Keep the artichoke in water with some lemon juice until use.
- Prepare a filling mix by finely chopping mint and garlic.
- Use the mix and fill the artichoke. Season with salt and pepper and place it upside down, sitting with the head inside a pot with high walls.
- Do the same for as many artichokes can fit side-by-side inside the pot.
- Add a good amount of olive oil and then add water up to 1/3 of the artichoke head height.
- Close with a lid and cook in medium heat for half an hour or until artichokes become tender.
- Serve the artichokes cut in half and keep the liquid inside the pot if too much to use it as a broth in another recipe.
Mussels steamed
Mussels
chili pepper
white wine
olive oil
- Wash mussels under cold water and peel off if there is some stone material on the shells.
- Chop and sauté some chili pepper in a pan with olive oil. I don’t use garlic as normally I would, because there is enough of it in the artichokes.
- Add the mussels and some white wine and let cook for few minutes covered with a lid until all shells are open.
- Serve them with the liquid that is very tasty.
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