This is why people want to move to Italy: you can buy raw fresh artichoke hearts already trimmed (occasionally you can find these in this country’s best markets too, especially in California), and layer them with the best Parmesan and olive oil. The cheese and artichoke have some kind of symbiotic magic going on, making the whole far greater than the sum of its parts. Fantastic.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 to 8 raw fresh artichoke hearts (12 if very small)
2 lemons, more or less
Several thin slices Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil as needed
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Slice the artichoke hearts as thinly as you can (a mandoline is ideal for this), rubbing each with lemon juice as you do so. Layer them on a plate with slices of Parmesan and drizzle all with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Step 2
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if necessary, and serve immediately.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
