Qaqoċċ mimli, the not so Maltese way

In the past, I had never bothered to make qaqoċċ mimli because whenever I was craving stuffed artichokes I would simply telephone mum and put in a request. However, over the years this continuous, dependent and somewhat lazy pattern was proving to be a tad bit lame, as well as hugely impractical as my parents live an hours drive away from us. Thus, the facts clearly pointed to the reality that it was high time that I attempted qaqoċċ mimli myself.

And so, I decided to get off my lazy derriere and make stuffed artichokes all by myself, and can I just pause to say that they were amazing! Hence, Mum had previously given me her typical Maltese stuffing recipe in the hope that I would attempt them myself, but when I finally got around to making them I called her to ask if I could add lemon zest, dried chilli and some green and black olives to the stuffing mix. Mum insisted that if I went ahead and did that then my artichokes would no longer  be 'Maltese' artichokes.

C'est la vie - I decided to throw caution to the wind and make them my way! 

Qaqoċċ mimli - Stuffed artichokes

Ingredients

4 globe artichokes, stalks trimmed

 
For the filling

½ sourdough loaf, crumbed

6 anchovy fillets, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

½ bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Zest of a lemon

1 tsp dried chilli flakes, optional

1 cup of Kalamata & green Sicilian olives, chopped

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Gently prise open the artichokes so to make space between the layers of leaves as that is where the stuffing mix will go. Mum suggested I bang them (flower head down) a couple of times on a chopping board so to loosen the globe.

2. Combine the stuffing ingredients together in a bowl, adding enough olive oil to bring the mixture together. Take a little bit of the stuffing and gently push it in the spaces between the leaves. Start with the outer leaves of the artichoke first and then work your way to the heart of the artichoke, ensuring that it is evenly distributed. Repeat the process until all four artichokes are filled.

3. Place the stuffed artichokes in a large saucepan, don't worry if they are overcrowded as you want them to support each other and remain upright. Effectively you are steaming the artichokes so add about 300 ml of cold water to the pan and slowly bring to the boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce to a gentle simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until a leaf from the artichoke can be pulled out easily.

4. Once done drizzle a little extra olive oil over the artichoke and serve immediately.

Nanette Johnson is a food and travel writer from Australia and Editor-in-Chief for Gourmet Worrier. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter