Fried Artichokes is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic dish of artichoke leaves dipped in a flour batter and deep fried until golden that are served with crisp-fried parsley. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fried Artichokes.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Fried Artichokes that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
Remove from young artichokes all but the tenderest leaves, the ends of which take off. Put into a large dish six tablespoonfuls of flour, three of oil, one of vinegar, two eggs beaten, a wine-glasssful of water, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg; beat the whole into a batter with a wooden spoon, and dip in the artichokes, stir them about, and detach those that stick together. When they are of a brown colour, take them and throw into the fry a handful of parsley, which when done take out and drain on a cloth, sprinkle with salt, and dress the artichokes on a folded napkin set round with the fried parsley.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
10 young artichokes
6 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp vinegar
2 eggs, beaten
200ml water
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
45g parsley
oil for frying
Method:
Remove all but the smallest and tenderest leaves from the artichokes and cut off the tips. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oil, vinegar, eggs and water to form a smooth batter. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and nutmeg then add the artichoke leaves and stir to coat.
Heat oil in a large pan and add the battered artichoke leaves. Fry until golden brown then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. In the meantime, add the parsley to the oil remaining in the pan and fry until crisp.
Arrange the battered artichokes in the centre of a serving plate and arrange the fried parsley around the outside. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then serve.
