Stuffed Artichokes

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 6 large artichokes
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil, plus more for stuffing
• 1 loaf italian bread, cubed
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can pitted black olives, chopped

Recipe

• 1 cut off stems of artichokes and set aside.
• 2 cut off top of artichoke leaves, creating a flat top. cut thorns off top of each leaf on artichoke. gently stretch artichoke from inside to create hole for stuffing.
• 3 cut away little purple/ thorny leaves in center. peel away outer skin of stems so that it is fresh all around. chop stems into small cubes for stuffing.
• 4 in a large bowl drizzle olive oil over bread cubes until they're moist. add salt & pepper, chopped onion and garlic, sliced olives and chopped stems. work together with hands. check olive oil content by squeezing stuffing into a ball in your hand. if it sticks together, there's enough oil, if not, add more.
• 5 stuff mixture tightly into center of artichokes -- as tightly as possible.
• 6 in a large stove top pot (ie. dutch oven) add water half way up artichokes.
• 7 artichokes should be firmly together in pan. add salt and 1 1/2 cups of extra virgin olive oil to water.
• 8 make certain water is high enough but not beyond half way. bring water to a slow boil in covered pot. baste leaves around stuffing with broth from the pan every 15 to 20 minutes for approximately 3 hours. when outside leaves are tender they're done.
• 9 before removing from pan, baste stuffing one last time, then pack down stuffing with a fork.
• 10 serve with a little bit of broth in bottom of bowl.