Carciofi alla giudia
Alternative names | Carciofi alla Giudea |
---|---|
Course | antipasto |
Place of origin | Italy |
Region or state | Rome |
Serving temperature | warm |
Main ingredients | artichokes |
Carciofi alla giudìa (Italian pronunciation: [karˈtʃɔːfi alla dʒuˈdiːa]; literally "Jewish style artichokes") is among the best known dishes of Roman Jewish cuisine.[1] The recipe is essentially a deep fried artichoke, and originated in the Jewish community of Rome, giudìo being the Roman dialect term for Jew.[2] It is a speciality of the Roman Ghetto, where it is served by Jewish restaurants in the springtime. In English the dish is usually referred to with the standard Italian spelling Carciofi alla giudea;[3][4][5] this spelling may be found in Italian sources also,[6] but the Roman dialect name is much more commonly used.
Preparation
Artichokes of the Romanesco variety, which are harvested between February and April in the coastal region northwest of Rome, between Ladispoli and Civitavecchia, are the best for this dish.[1]
The artichokes are cleaned with a sharp knife, eliminating all the hard leaves with a spiral movement.[1] They are then beaten together to open them. They are left for some minutes in water with lemon juice, then seasoned with salt and pepper and deep fried in olive oil.[1] The last touch consists in sprinkling a little cold water on them to make them crisp. At the end they look like little golden sunflowers and their leaves have a nutty crunchiness. They are eaten warm.[7]
See also
References
Sources
- Boni, Ada (1983) [1930]. La Cucina Romana (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton Editori.
- Cervellati, Alessandro (1973). Bologna futurista (in Italian). Bologna: A cura dell'Autore.
- David, Elizabeth (1987). Italian Food. London: Barrie & Jenkins ISBN 0-7126-2000-1. (1st: London: Macdonald, 1954)
- Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: University Press.
- Gray, Rose, and Ruth Rogers (1995). The River Cafe Cookbook. London: Ebury Press.
- Malizia, Giuliano (1995). La Cucina Ebraico-Romanesca (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton Editori.