Boil eight or ten young artichokes, then dry them well. Put a small piece of onion on the top of each artichoke, wrap each in a slice of ham, and stand them upright in a sauce-pan. In another sauce-pan make your stuffings: four ounces of fine white lard cut up small, a quart of broth, six mushrooms and a little parsley chopped up fine. Boil, and when cooked pour this compound into each artichoke, put them into the oven (not too hot) for about three-quarters of an hour. Before serving be careful to remove any ham that has remained attached to the artichokes, and pour some sauce ‘Olandese’ (see Sauces, p. [124]) over them.
Artichokes ‘alla Francese.’
Cut your artichokes into four or eight pieces according to their size, remove the stalks and the hard leaves, and boil. Then sprinkle them with lemon, and, to prevent them from turning brown, put them into hot water with a good deal of vinegar. Drain well before serving, and after putting them on a dish, pour a sauce made of pepper, salt, fine olive oil, and a little vinegar over them, and serve hot.
Artichokes ‘Fritti.’ No. 1.
Wash your artichokes and cut them into slices. When drained put them into an earthen pot with some salt, pepper, fine olive oil, and a few drops of vinegar. Put two yolks of eggs, one whole egg, a little water, and some fine olive oil, into a frying-pan, and mix well together. Throw the slices of artichoke into the frying-pan, stirring them well. When they have taken a good colour remove them from the fire, strain them, put them on a napkin in a dish, garnish with fried parsley and serve very hot.
Artichokes ‘Fritti.’ No. 2.
Cut eight or ten young artichokes into slices lengthways, take out the chokes and cut off the ends of the leaves, and throw them into vinegar and water; drain and dip them in the following batter:—two tablespoonfuls of flour, the yolk of one egg, one spoonful of good olive oil, and two tablespoonfuls of milk. Stir well; add one tablespoonful of brandy (or water), pepper and salt to taste, and let it stand for some hours. Before using whisk two whites of egg to a stiff froth and beat it in.
Artichokes ‘alla Graticola.’
Wash your artichokes well, remove the stalks, the hard leaves, and the points of the leaves; cut them in halves, and cook them on a gridiron. Then sprinkle them with salt, some fine olive oil, and a little pepper, and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over them just before serving up hot.