Margherita is my Southern Italian mother-in-law who, in typical fashion, took over our kitchen during her recent visit. She made Lucanian specialties from the little-known Italian region tucked in the arch of the Italian boot: Basilicata. We brought home a case of artichokes and got to work cleaning and trimming them (here’s how) while discussing the many dishes we would make.
Margherita described the recipe completely differently from how she made it. While we were cooking she found ingredients that she didn’t want to waste – so in the bowl they went. I’ve written the typical recipe, but you can see from the pictures that you can improvise by adding a handful of this or a pinch of that (salumi, or cubed cheese)- as Margherita often does in all of her cooking.We used the extra-wide pressure braiser for this recipe, but you can absolutely use the common stockpot-type pressure cooker and stack the smaller artichokes in a second layer of stuffed artichokes over the gaps of the artichokes in the layer below.
| Pressure Cooker | Accessories | Pr. Cook Time | Pr. Level | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 L or larger | none | 5-7 min. | High(2) | Normal |
- 6-8 medium artichokes, trimmed
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups stale bread cubes
- 1 cup hard grating cheese like Pecorino, Grana or Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- After cleaning and trimming the artichokes, place them open-end down on a cutting board and open them up by doing a pushing and twisting motion.
- Flip the artichoke around and stretch the bud open - this is a good time to remove the choke if there is one- Make sure the base of each artichoke is flat and then toss back into the acidulated water until ready for stuffing.
- Prepare the pressure cooker with 1½ cups of water, and trimmed artichoke stems if using. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the bread crumbs, half a cup of the grated cheese (reserving the other half for later), salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Break up two eggs and add to the mix.
- Using your hands squeeze everything together until the filling becomes a homogenous mixture. If it is too dry and crumbly, sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of water (or milk) and continue mixing until the mixture can stay into a shape (and not spring back to bread cubes) when squeezed together.
- Holding the artichokes over the mixing bowl, stuff each one generously and then place each artichoke into the pressure cooker.
- When all of the artichokes are in the cooker carefully sprinkle the top of each artichoke with the remaining grated cheese and finish with a swirl of olive oil.
- Close the lid and set the valve to pressure cooking position.
- Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 7 minutes at high pressure.
Stovetop pressure cookers: Lock the lid and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. - When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure. Remove each artichoke carefully using tongs, and serve with stems (is using).
Oh…I cannot wait to try these!!! This is our family’s favorite and it takes all day to first steam, then stuff, then bake,,,,forever I tell you!!! As soon as my pc arrives, this will be one of the first things I try!!!
Can you please provide directions for the Instant Pot? Thank You.
Done! That’s 7 minutes using the “manual” or “pressure cook” mode (depending on your Instant Pot model ; ).
Ciao,
L
My mom who is Sicilian made these stuffed artichokes. This is the first time I’ve seen this recipe on line! My kids ask me all the time for Grandma’s Recipe. I tried submitting this recipe to BH&G back in the 1980s. but I got no Response. Thank you for posting.
LuAnn
So glad I could help revive an old family tradition! Come back to tell us how they turned out!!
Ciao,
L
Thank you for posting this. My Mom did a version of these (without the eggs and nutmeg) on the stovetop and I’ve been using the “steam” function on my pressure cooker until now. After reading your recipe, I will pressure cook them in much less time.