Thursday, January 5, 2023

Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes and an Organic Grillo Wine #ItalianFWT

I served Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes as the first course for our NYE Dinner.  Artichokes are not the easiest of foods to pair with wines but I decided to take a leap of faith and opened up a bottle of Grillo from Sicily.

Stuffed Artichoke with Wine
The Italian Food Wine and Travel club are kicking off 2023 with a visit to Sicily hosted by Cam of Culinary Cam.  Let's take a look at the other wines being showcased today........


Grillo Wine

Grillo is a new to me varietal but tasting notes describe it as a medium bodied, dry wine with a lot of acidity.  I thought that these were qualities that would lend to a decent pairing with the stuffed artichokes that I was serving.

Stuffed Artichoke

This grape grows well in Sicily as it enjoys a hot, dry climate.  It has become a very popular wine as it is crisp but savory.  Some compare it to Pinot Grigio but I found it to have a bit more body than the Pinot Grigios that I have enjoyed.  

I didn't realize that Grillo is one of the grapes used for Marsala, so I guess I have had it before when making Chicken Marsala.  This bottle of Grillo tasted nothing like Marsala wine.  It was crisp and dry but not puckery at all.  There is no sweetness to this wine but there is a lot of herbal notes and it paired reasonably well with the stuffed artichokes and very well with the Glazed Salmon that followed as the entree.

Cam is hosting us all in a live Facebook chat on Saturday at 11 AM.  I have never done Facebook Live so it will be a new experience for me.  I'm not sure how you join in this chat but if you stop by Culinary Cam's Invitation Post and let her know you would like to join in the discussion, I'm sure she will be happy to include you.  

If you like Stuffed Artichokes this is an easy, delicious recipe that makes a great first course or light lunch.  Enjoy and Happy 2023 to you and yours.




Appetizers, First Courses, Artichokes
Appetizers
Sicilian
Yield: 2 servings
Author: Wendy Klik
Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes

Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes

Stuffed with bread crumbs and cheese then steamed until tender, these artichokes make an elegant start to a dinner.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Ingredients

  • 2 artichokes
  • 2/3 c. Italian bread crumbs
  • 2 T. grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 T. minced parsley leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • juice of 1 lemon, divided

Instructions

  1. Prepare the artichoke by soaking in cold water for 30 minutes.
  2. Cut off the stem of the artichokes so that the bottom is flat.
  3. Slice off the top of the artichoke and then cut off the pointy tip of each leave with scissors. You do not have to remove the choke. This can be done at the table by each diner once the leaves have been eaten so the heart can be enjoyed.
  4. Turn the artichoke upside down and press firmly to spread open the leaves.
  5. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half over each artichoke.
  6. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pack this mixture into the artichokes and place flat side down into a small pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the bottom leaves of the artichoke and place over med high heat.
  7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, until tender and the leaves pull easily away.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found at The Lemon Bowl.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

139.51

Fat (grams)

4.92

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.6

Carbs (grams)

20.61

Fiber (grams)

7.38

Net carbs

13.22

Sugar (grams)

4.55

Protein (grams)

6.6

Sodium (milligrams)

340.79

Cholesterol (grams)

4.35

17 comments:

  1. First let me say I'm thrilled your recovery is going so well! Your Stuffed Artichoke recipe looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was so sad we could chat this morning, but it was GREAT to see you! Your recovery is nothing short of Amazing!
    Your artichoke recipe sounds wonderful. I have never cooked artichokes, but I am now inspired to give it a try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy them Robin. I was disappointed that I couldn't hear any of you. Not sure what the problem was.

      Delete
  3. Brave in recovery, brave in pairing wine and food. Kudos to you, Wendy, on everything you do. The pairing sounds lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love artichokes! I think the Grillo pairing would be fantastic. Thanks for joining in the fun and games.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do like stuffed artichokes and can't wait to make your recipe. Ecstatic to know your recovery is going well Wendy!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I’m so glad you’re slowly on the mend. What a terrible thing to experience. I’m going to pin this as I’ve always wanted to make stuffed artichokes and miss my moms. They’re a tough one to pair with wine for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi this is Lisa from The Wine Chef. What a great pairing! Thanks for sharing and hope you are feeling better!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wendy - Grillo is such a great grape. I can see it with Salmon but everything is hard to pair with archichokes. That recipe looks amazing and I can't wait to try it. So glad you are recovering, Susannah

    ReplyDelete

I enjoy getting comments and feedback from my audience. Please let me know what you think, keeping in mind that we are all entitled to our own beliefs and opinions. I am happy to hear yours as long as they are stated nicely.