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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Farro with Baby Artichokes

Prep time
15 minutes PT15M
Cook time
25-30 minutes PT30M
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Difficulty
1 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
FarrowBabyArtichokes1 Nugget Markets signature recipes

When baby artichokes are in season, they are so good you can eat them whole.  Here is a recipe with one of our favorite grains, Farro.  This technique is not unlike risotto, but without the buttery finish.

Ingredients

  • 1, 17 oz. package Bartolini Farro
  • ¼ pound pancetta, diced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups water (if needed)
  • 8 baby artichokes, blanched, shocked and quartered
  • Parmesan (for garnish)

Preparation

Set a large pot of water to boil.  Salt liberally.

To prepare the artichokes, take off the tough outer leaves until they turn a light green color.  With a vegetable peeler, peel the stem.  Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the spiny leaves.

Blanch them for 6 to 8 minutes or until the bottom yields to a knife.  Shock them in an ice bath.

Sauté the pancetta on low heat to render off the fat.  When crispy, add the shallots and turn the heat up to medium.  After 2 to 3 minutes add the chili flakes and the farro.  Gently toast the farro for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and bring just to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  The farro should just be covered with liquid, so if the stock boils off, just add some water and bring back up to a simmer.

When done, the farro should be tender, but al dente.  When cooked (this should take 20 to 25 minutes), fold in the quartered artichokes.  Garnish with grated parmesan.

Techniques used in this recipe:

sauté
sauté: a cooking method in which items are cooked quickly in a small amount of fat in a pan on the range top.
simmer (I)
simmer (I): to maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling.
fold in

fold in: to combine delicate ingredients such as whipped cream or beaten egg whites with heavier ingredients by using gentle up-and-down circular motion with rubber spatula or wire whisk.

Glossary:

al dente

Italian, To the tooth; to cook an item, such as pasta or vegetables, until it is tender but still firm, not soft.