Artichokes stuffed with Iberian ham
Today I bring you these artichokes stuffed with Iberian ham, a very simple way to prepare them that you can do.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 8 artichokes
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ of a fresh spring onion
- 1 heaped tablespoon of flour
- 250g of whole milk
- 100g of Iberian ham
- 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
- Cheese for gratinating to taste
Method · 29 min
- Trim the stems and the ends of the leaves from your artichokes, and without removing any outer leaves, place them in a saucepan or pressure cooker with water and a little salt. Cook them until al dente. I can't give you a specific time because it depends a lot on the vegetable and where you cook it. The ones you see in the photo took 8 minutes in the pressure cooker. To check if they're done, I open the pressure cooker and insert a skewer into the bottom part; that helps me determine when they're ready. It's better to undercook them slightly, because if they're overcooked, they won't work for this recipe.
- Take them out of the water and let them cool down a little so you can handle them easily.
- Remove the tough outer leaves. Cut off the stem at the base so they stand upright and can be gratinated later.
- Scoop out the central part of the vegetable, almost the entire heart, with a small spoon. It comes out easily, leaving room for the filling. Chop this gem, which is the best part of the vegetable, to use in the filling.
- Dice the ham into very small cubes. Set aside. Do the same with the onion.
- Put a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan. When it's hot, add the ham, leave it for about 30 seconds over medium heat, and set it aside on a plate, draining off the oil.
- Pour the remaining oil and butter into the same saucepan. Once melted, add the onion and cook until translucent.
- Next, add the flour, stir, and let it toast lightly, stirring constantly. Add the warm milk and stir continuously. As it thickens, add the ham and the chopped artichoke hearts. The mixture will be ready when it has thickened and bubbles form on the surface.
- Taste for salt once it has thickened. The ham should have already provided enough, but now's the time to adjust. You can add a little ground pepper or nutmeg if you like to give it a bit more zest: although I haven't listed it in the ingredients, it goes perfectly with it.
- Let the filling rest for a while. Fill your artichokes, using a piping bag or a spoon, so that the filling protrudes slightly. The filling has a texture similar to the inside of a croquette and is easy to make.
- Turn on your oven's broiler. Sprinkle your favorite cheese over the artichokes. I used mozzarella and Grana Padano.
- Broil for a few minutes until the cheese is golden brown and serve immediately. I like them hot, as well as broiled; the residual heat from the oven makes them perfect.
