Italian · starter
45m
Total time
4
Servings
320
kcal
medium
Difficulty
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FAQ · Things people ask
Roman alla giudia uses whole baby artichokes (ideally the violet Romanesco variety), pressed flat like an open flower and fried twice without any batter — the result is entirely crisp leaves and a dense, browned heart. Tuscan fritti uses a light batter and works with larger globe artichokes cut into wedges. Two distinct textures, two different dishes. Both are worth making.
Jarred hearts in water work — skip the acidulated soak, pat very dry, and go straight to battering. Avoid oil-packed hearts; the fat prevents batter from adhering. Frozen hearts need thorough thawing and drying. Fresh is noticeably better here, but jarred is a reasonable shortcut.
Sunflower or a light (not extra-virgin) olive oil both work well at 175°C. Extra-virgin has a lower smoke point and stronger flavour — fine in theory but wasteful in a deep-fry situation. Sunflower is cheaper, neutral, and handles the temperature cleanly.
The batter should be pale to mid golden after 3–4 minutes. The tips of the leaves crisp first — watch those for colour without burning. If your oil is at the right temperature, the fritti won't be greasy. An oil too cool means they absorb fat before the batter sets.
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