Artichokes stuffed with shrimps and peas
( Carciofi ripieni di gamberi e piselli)

Recipe for artichokes stuffed with shrimps and peas

Preparation and cooking

• - Let shrimps thaw at room temperature.
• - Cook articokes.
  Place artichokes, still whole, in a pot full of water to wash.
  Then steam them, always whole, 20 minutes from when the water boils. But this time may be different depending on the size of artichokes.
  Let artichokes cool.
• - Meanwhile ...
  ... cook peas and prepare filling.
  Bring to a boil some water.
  Chop leek and let it fry slightly in 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil together with bay leaf. Stir often on low heat.
  Stir in peas to flavor.
  Dilute tomato paste in a ladle of hot water and add to peas.
  Pour in necessary water to cover.
  Season to taste with salt and continue cooking, half-covered, until peas are tender.
  Wash chives and absorb the excess of water with kitchen paper.
  Just before turning off the stove, cut in chives and add all shrimps except 4 that are necessary to garnish, as you can see in the photo.
  Put apart your pea-and-shrimp mixture.
• - Clean artichokes.
  Cut off every stalk and remove the outer part that is always fibrous to reach the inner part. Chop and add to the filling.
  Pull off all tough outer leaves until you reach the inner part that is more tender.
  Cut about an inch off of the top of the artichoke, if not more.
  Remove all very thin spiny leaves in the center and fuzzy choke (inedible), if present.
  If the inner leaves are enough tender you can chop them and add to the filling.
• - Preaheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
  Line a baking pan with oven paper and sprinkle with olive oil.
  Fill your artichokes with pea-and-shrimp mixture and sprinkle with olive oil all around.
  Bake, about 20 minutes.
  Top with remaining prawns a few minutes before the end of cooking for garnishing and turn on the grill.

Just before serving

• - Remove baking pan from oven and sprinkle the top with olive oil.
  Serve your artichokes warm.

Note

Tips

• - When my husband took this photo I had used big globe artichokes but I also find very suitable artichokes with thorns. In this case, cut them lengthwise and leave a piece of stem. Same technique used for artichokes stuffed with ricotta and asparagus. The link to the recipe below.
• - Keep on hand a spray bottle filled with oil. It is very useful. For example for greasing oven paper and artichokes in this case. So you are able to use less olive oil ;))

Menu planning

• - Artichokes filled with prawns and peas are suitable for a spring full menu. Serve them as starter.
  If you plan an Italian-style menu, you could also serve them between the first and second course. In both cases one artichoke per person.
• - If you like this recipe, serve them in your Sunday family menu. 2 artichokes per person.

Useful links for this recipe

• - Interested in recipe for artichokes stuffed with ricotta and asparagus?

Healthy eating

• - I must immediately emphasize a thing. These stuffed artichokes are very tasty and you'll eat them willingly, surely! But they have a basic flaw. The simultaneous presence of two important sources of protein: shrimps and peas. Nutritionists invite us not to use the combination pulses with meat or fish. So choose it for a special full menu and not too frequently for your family menu.
• - Fiber per serving: 22,2 grams. Virtually the entire daily requirement.

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Artichokes stuffed with shrimps and peas "?

My husband and I prefer a good-quality beer with artichokes.