Artichokes braised in white wine, garlic and herbs

Ingredients:

• 6 medium artichokes
• 1.5 cups of white wine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Carrots, celery, leeks and garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Preparation:

1. Peel the artichokes, leaving the stems intact (see Note).
2. In a saucepan, sauté 2 sliced ​​carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 2 leeks in 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, about 12 minutes. Add 3 chopped garlic cloves and sauté for another 2 minutes.
3. Halve the artichokes lengthwise and arrange them in a single layer in a saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 1/2 cups of white wine, and add enough water to cover. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the artichokes and simmer over low heat until tender, 25-30 minutes. Let the liquid cool.
   
   

   Eating artichokes

4. For stuffed or steamed artichokes, remove the outer leaves and scrape out the flesh. Repeat until all the leaves are removed. You'll be left with the artichoke core.
5. Scrape out the prickly core with a small knife and discard.
6. Cut the artichoke heart into pieces. Cut the stem if you didn't remove it when pruning; it's also edible.
   
   

   How to clean artichokes

7. Fill a large bowl with cold water, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, and toss in the lemon halves. Working with one artichoke at a time, trim the top 2.5 cm off with a serrated knife.
8. Break off the tough, dry leaves around the stem (about 2 layers of leaves).
9. Using kitchen scissors, trim 0.5-1 cm from the prickly ends of the leaves.
10. Peel the stem with a knife or cut it off completely if you want the artichoke to stand upright. Rub the cut ends with half a lemon, then soak the artichoke in lemon water while you trim the rest.