Stuffed Artichokes
A Spanish tapas classic…
Here’s a great tapas I enjoyed at my friend’s house in Spain earlier in the year, it was a perfect midday snack and I was struck by its simplicity.
Whole baby artichokes were stuffed with sweet pimentoes and kept in place with a stick of wild fennel. These were then pickled and left in the marinade to take on the flavour.
There was a subtle taste of the fennel which grows in such abundance around the hilltops of Southern Spain and a backnote of paprika from the marinade. These were bought at a local market and along with some plump, garlicky olives made a great tapas.
I always like to have a jar of something preserved to tuck into when hunger strikes (which is usually after a glass of wine!) so pickled chillies, olives, cornichons, peppers and anchovies are usually on hand. Now I shall have to try this one, I’ve got the pimentoes and the fennel, just need the baby artichokes…
Miles,
Pickled chillies? That reminds me, last week I brewed up one of the previously mentioned detox hot ginger/chilli brews…. thinking to myself that looks like a mild one I put the whole chilli in. After taking a sip my hair stood on end …. this must be doing me some good I thought, it was positively the worst tasting brew I’d ever tried
I’ll ask locally to see if they ever get any baby artichokes and let you know.
Cid
August 8, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
Cid,
You’ve got to watch those little demons, they still catch me out
Miles
August 8, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
Thanks, Miles. These sound fantastic.
August 8, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
Karen,
They are lovely, I envy you and Jerry as I do my friends in Spain for being able to enjoy tapas food in a climate conducive to the enjoyment of eating food in this way.
If this rain doesn’t stop I shall be posting winter recipes next week
Miles
August 8, 2008 @ 9:32 pm