Dutch oven Stuffed Artichokes Recipe
The seasonal opportunity for Artichokes is upon us and I have a refreshing alternative to just boiling the Artichoke till done recipe we are all used too. Don't get me wrong, I do love those Artichokes cooked till tender and dipped into my families favorite sauce, with that beautiful heat meat waiting till the end. Make my mouth water thinking about it! This Stuffed Artichoke recipe is something completely different and is perfect for the old Dutch oven. I previously was inspired by a few recipes I found in a magazine awhile back and decide to recreate a version of my own. After the taste test of 4 very large Stuffed Artichokes cooked in my Dutch oven, I can say this was a winner.
Note: You can watch the video here: Dutch oven Stuffed Artichokes
Dutch oven Stuffed Artichokes Recipe
I choose 4 large artichokes for my recipe but you could use 6 or 8 small artichokes. Just keep in mind that they need to fit in the Dutch oven you have chosen without to much crowding. They will need to stand up in the Dutch oven for the filling and need space to allow the steam to do it's job.
Trim your Artichoke leaves to remove the thorn on the end of each leaf and remove some of the small leaves attached to the stem. Cut the Artichoke stem to about 1 inch long and test fit in your Dutch oven for clearance. The artichoke must remain upright (stem down) and the Dutch oven lid must seat completely or you won't be steaming the Artichokes properly. If the lid won't fit trim some of the leaves from the top of the Artichoke as opposed to the stem. I like to eat part of the stem along with the heart of the Artichoke and the top of the Artichoke is inedible so cut there to make them fit.
The Stuffed Artichoke stuffing recipe includes: Bacon, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano/Parmesan cheese and olive oil. The recipe is below.
Now you need to stuff all of those Artichoke leaves! Take 1/4 of the Artichoke stuffing recipe and press into the leaf cavity of the Artichoke. This is the messy part but just work it in till all of the stuffing mix is gone. Then stand the Stuffed Artchoke upright into your Dutch oven. I used a 12 inch Camp Chef Dutch oven.
Add water to the depth of approximately 1 1/2 inches. Note that you will need to check the Dutch oven a couple of times during cooking to make sure you don't evaporate all of the water out. Just add a bit more hot water as needed during the cooking process.
Now for you die hard Dutch oven purest out there, feel free to use charcoal to boil the water and steam those Artichokes. It can be done, but, well lets just say “I have been there and done that”, now prefering to use a nice stove such as the Camp Chef Big Gas Grill with 30,000 btu's to do the work for me.
Set your stove burner to high and bring the Dutch oven to a boil, then reduce heat to a rolling simmer to steam the Stuffed Artichokes for approximately 1 hour. Test for doneness with a fork inserted into the base (above the stem) of the Artichoke, it should go in smoothly without any forcing just like a baked potato.
Sprinkle a little freshly grated cheese over the top of the Stuffed Artichoke when it is ready to serve. Have a bit of dipping sauce ready for the heart and stem if you choose. I ate two of these myself and my mind was rolling with all of the stuffing possibilities.
Let me know how yours turned out!
- 4 large artichokes
- ½ cup minced bacon bits
- 1 cup flavored bread crumbs
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, minced
- ¼ cup parmesan/romano cheese. grated
- 4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
- Trim your Artichoke leaves to remove the thorn on the end of each leaf and remove some of the small leaves attached to the stem.
- Mix all the remaining ingredients together.
- Take ¼ of the Artichoke stuffing recipe and press into the leaf cavity of the each Artichoke.
- Then stand the Stuffed Artichoke upright into your Dutch oven.
- Add water to the depth of approximately 1½ inches. Note that you will need to check the Dutch oven a couple of times during the cooking process to make sure you don’t evaporate all of the water out.
- Just add a bit more hot water as needed to prevent.
- Bring the Dutch oven to a boil, then reduce heat to a rolling simmer to steam the Stuffed Artichokes for approximately one hour.
- Test for doneness with a fork inserted into the base (above the stem) of the Artichoke.
- Sprinkle a little fresh cheese over the top of the Stuffed Artichoke when it is ready to serve.
here’s my take on this one: http://www.marksblackpot.com/2013/03/dutch-oven-stuffed-artichoke-on-rice.html