appetizers
artichoke torta
Choose small, tender artichokes, about the size of a golf ball.
If these aren’t available, use larger chokes, paring them down
to their bottoms, removing the choke with the sharp edge of
a spoon, and cutting them into pieces before cooking them. If
you’re in a hurry, use frozen artichoke hearts. (See the photo
on p. 26.) Yields one 8-inch torta; serves 1012 small spring artichokes or
5 to 6 globe artichokes
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 shallots, minced
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 cup water
Kosher salt
1 bunch (10 oz.) spinach,
cleaned and stemmed
8 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
Freshly ground black pepper
to taste
3/4 cup grated creamy Havarti
cheese (also called Dofino)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-
Reggiano or Grana Padano
1 small bunch fresh basil,
stemmed and coarsely
chopped
2 oz. prosciutto, sliced thin and
cut into small squaresHeat the oven to 375°F. Pare the
artichokes down to the tender
centers (or bottoms if using larger
arti chokes). Cut them in half.
In a medium nonstick frying
pan, heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil
over medium heat. Add the
shallots and cook about 1 minute.
Add the artichokes, lemon juice,
and water, and sprinkle with
1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook until
the artichokes are tender in the
center when pierced with the
tip of a knife, 10 to 20 minutes
depending on their size (for
frozen artichokes, thaw them
and cook 5 minutes). Uncover
and continue cooking, stirring
occasionally, until all the liquid
has evaporated. Let cool.
In a large pot of boiling salted
water, cook the spinach for
2 minutes. Drain in a col ander
and refresh with cold water. Withyour hands, squeeze out as much
water as pos sible. Transfer the
spinach to a cutting board and
chop it finely.
Crack the eggs into a large
bowl, pour in the half-and-half,
and whisk to combine. Season
with about 1 tsp. salt and a few
turns of the pepper mill. Add the
cheeses, chopped spinach, basil,
prosciutto, and the artichoke
mixture and stir well.
Choose a baking dish or a small
roasting pan large enough to hold
an 8-inch nonstick frying pan.
Add hot water to the dish to cover
about one-quarter of the frying
pan’s depth. This will act as a
water bath for cooking the torta.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbs.
olive oil in the nonstick frying pan
over medium-high heat until a
drop of the egg mixture sputters
when added to the pan. Add the
egg mixture and cook for 4 to
5 minutes over medium-high
heat. With a spatula, lift the torta
away from the edges of the pan to
gauge its progress; when you see
that the torta has set around the
edges, remove the pan from the
heat and immediately put it in the
water bath to stop the browning.
Put the pan and water bath
in the oven and bake until the
torta is firm in the center, 40 to
45 minutes.
Remove the frying pan from
the water bath, cut the torta
into 1-inch chunks, and turn
it out, bottom side up, on a
cutting board. Let cool for 10 to
15 minutes. Serve the torta
pieces, top side up, at room
temperature.baked provolone with
tomatoes, marjoram,
and balsamic
Thick slices of provolone baked under
a tangy-sweet tomato topping make
a to-die-for starter or a light lunch with
a green salad. Serve with warm, crusty
bread. Serves 44 1/4-inch-thick rounds provolone cheese
1 medium tomato (about 8 oz.), cored and
cut into small dice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 tsp. balsamic vinegarPosition a rack in the center of the oven and
heat the oven to 450°F.
Arrange four 5- to 6-inch individual shallow
gratin dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Put
1 round of provolone in each dish.
In a small bowl, combine the tomato, garlic,
oil, marjoram, 1/4 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of
pepper. Divide the tomato mixture among
the four gratin dishes, scattering it over and
around the cheese. Bake until the cheese is
slightly melted, about 5 minutes.
Drizzle each serving with 1/4 tsp. of the
balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.28 ReAL ITALIAn 2017