Carciofi alla Giudia Recipe: How to Make Carciofi Alla Giudia
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jan 19, 2022 • 3 min read
If you enjoy artichoke hearts marinated in oil, try Carciofi alla Giudia, a classic fried preparation of the nutritious veggie. This deep-fried staple of Roman-Jewish cuisine, which calls for tender baby artichokes and a small list of pantry staples, is the perfect addition to any antipasto spread.
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What Is Carciofi alla Giudia?
Carciofi alla Giudia, also known as Carciofi alla Romana, is a dish that consists of deep-fried baby artichokes seasoned with a series of Italian pantry staples. Frying these small artichokes twice in flavorful olive oil—first whole, then fanned out into a sunflower shape—results in crispy, golden-brown artichoke leaves that resemble potato chips.
Cimaroli artichokes—a purple, Roman variety of the vegetable without a choke, or the feathery, fibrous piece above the heart—are traditional to this dish.
The name of this dish, which translates to “Jewish-style artichokes,” comes from its popularity in the Jewish ghettos in Rome, Italy, during the sixteenth century. The Italian-Jewish community often enjoys this popular appetizer during the fast-breaking feast of the holiday Yom Kippur.
3 Tips for Making Carciofi alla Giudia
Follow these tips to master this Roman-style deep-fried artichoke recipe:
- 1. Change up the chokes. Recipes for Carciofi alla Giudia typically call for baby artichokes, which have no tough inner choke and fry faster due to their small size. If you can’t find Roman artichokes at your local grocery store or farmers’ market, use medium or large artichokes instead. Keep in mind that larger artichokes will take longer to fry than baby artichokes. If you swap baby artichokes for another variety, you’ll need to cut out the fuzzy inner choke, which is inedible.
- 2. Use different oils. Olive oil is the traditional choice for a classic fried artichoke recipe. Still, you can substitute it for an alternative neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil, which will help the artichokes crisp up faster and more effectively.
- 3. Give the chokes room to fry. When frying your Carciofi alla Giudia for the second time, give them plenty of room in the pan. You will be fanning their leaves out so that the vegetable resembles a flower, so each one will require more room than they did for the first fry. This space allows them to crisp up properly rather than steam and become soggy. Depending on the size of your artichokes—particularly if you’re using larger artichokes—you may need to work in batches to ensure they fry up properly.
Homemade Carciofi alla Giudia Recipe
makes
prep time
25 mintotal time
40 mincook time
15 minIngredients
- 1
Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in the lemon juice.
- 2
Trim the artichokes one at a time. Pull off the artichokes’ dark, tough outer leaves until just the pale-green inner leaves remain. The inner leaves will make the artichoke look like a rosebud. Using a paring knife, trim off the thorny tips of each of the inner leaves. Trim the stem down to about 1 inch. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, cut the tough outer layer off the stem. Place the trimmed artichoke in the bowl of lemon water and repeat these steps with the remaining artichokes.
- 3
In a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 4
As the oil heats, remove the artichokes from the water and place them onto a paper towel to drain.
- 5
Add the artichokes to the hot oil and cook them—using tongs to flip them frequently—until they are golden brown and the hearts are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- 6
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the artichokes from the oil and place them onto a paper towel–lined plate.
- 7
Increase the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 8
When the artichokes are cool enough to touch, use your fingers to gently pull open the leaves so that they fan out. Each artichoke should resemble an open sunflower.
- 9
Return the artichokes to the hot oil and fry them until golden brown and crispy, about 3–5 minutes.
- 10
Transfer the artichokes to a paper towel–lined plate and immediately season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- 11
Serve the artichokes hot with fresh lemon wedges and mayonnaise or aioli for dipping.
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