Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [31]
3. Choose a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, such as enameled cast iron, tall enough to accommodate the artichokes, which are to go in standing. Put in the artichokes, tops facing down, stems pointing up. Rub the remaining herb and garlic mixture over the outside of the artichokes. Add all the olive oil, plus enough water to come up and cover one-third of the leaves, but not the stems.
4. Take a sufficient length of paper towels that, when doubled up, will completely cover the top of the pot. Or a muslin cloth will do as well. Soak the towels or cloth in water, and place over the top of the pot, covering it completely. Put the lid over the towels or cloth, then pull back over the lid any portion of them hanging down the sides of the pot.
5. Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. The artichokes are done when a fork easily pierces the thick part between the stem and the heart. Cooking times may vary depending on the freshness of the artichokes. If they are tough and take long to cook, you may have to add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water from time to time. If, on the other hand, they are very fresh and are cooked before all the water has simmered away, uncover the pot, remove the towels or muslin, and turn up the heat, quickly boiling away the water. The edges of the leaves resting on the bottom of the pot may turn brown, but do not worry, it improves their flavor.
6. When done, transfer the artichokes to a serving platter, setting them down with their stems pointing up. Reserve the olive oil and other juices from the pot: They are to be poured over the artichokes only just before serving. If you were to pour the oil and juices over the artichoke when it is still hot, it would soak them up, making the artichoke greasy and sodden, and depriving it of the sauce with which later you want to accompany it.
The ideal serving temperature is when the artichokes are no longer hot, but have not yet cooled completely, when they are still faintly touched by the waning warmth of cooking. But they are excellent even later, at room temperature, as they are usually served in Rome. Plan to use them the same day, however; like all cooked greens, their flavor deteriorates in the refrigerator.
Mushroom, Parmesan Cheese, and White Truffle Salad
ONE OF THE happiest coincidences of autumn in Italy is the contemporaneous appearance of white truffles and wild mushrooms. Among the best things it leads to, and easiest to prepare, is this luxurious salad. Fortunately, the basic salad of mushrooms and parmigiano-reggiano is so good that one needn’t forego it just because truffles may not be available or are too expensive. Just skip the truffles. If you can obtain fresh porcini, the wild boletus edulis mushroom, and if they are firm and sound (not wormy), by all means use them. If you cannot, of the cultivated mushrooms, the brown-skinned variety known as cremini is the most desirable to use because its flavor more closely recalls that of porcini. But if cremini are not available either, good-quality white button mushrooms are quite acceptable. What there can be no substitute for is the parmigiano-reggiano cheese and the olive oil. The latter should be a fruity extra virgin olive oil, if possible from the central Italian regions of Umbria or Tuscany. The oil absorbs flavor from the mushrooms, cheese, and the truffle, if any, and wiping the plate clean at the end with a good, crusty piece of bread may be the best part of all.
For 4 servings
½ pound firm, sound fresh mushrooms (see introductory note above)
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅔ cup celery cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
⅔ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, shaved into flakes with a vegetable peeler or on a mandoline
OPTIONAL: a 1-ounce or larger white truffle
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (see introductory note above)
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Wash the mushrooms quickly under cold running water. Do not let them soak. Pat them