Baked Stuffed Artichokes

1. Stage

Make the fresh breadcrumbs: Cut off the crust from 6 slices of bread. Chop the centers and put into a food processor. Pulse until you have coarse breadcrumbs. You should have about 3 cups.

2. Stage

Make the stuffing: In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic (from 6 of the garlic cloves, reserving the remaining 2 cloves), chopped parsley, minced oregano, 1/2 cup olive oil, and black pepper. Set aside.

3. Stage

Prep the artichokes: Cut off the stem, leaving 1/2 inch from the bottom row of leaves. Using kitchen scissors, cut off 1/2 inch of the tips of all of the artichoke leaves. Cut 1 inch from the top of the artichoke. (It helps to use a serrated knife like a bread knife for this.) Take a slice of lemon and rub over the cut edges of the artichokes to keep them from turning brown.

4. Stage

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

5. Stage

Stuff the artichokes: Use your finger to gently pull open the center leaves of the artichokes. Pull out the inner tender yellow artichoke leaves. Use a small metal spoon to scrape and scoop out all of the inner fuzzy choke. Note that removing the choke at this stage isn't entirely necessarily, and it does require some elbow grease. That said, it makes eating the stuffed artichoke a much easier, and more enjoyable experience. Place artichokes on a sheet pan (to catch the breadcrumbs) and start stuffing the artichoke with your stuffing mix. Put some stuffing mix between each large leaf and the artichoke, as well as a generous amount in the center.

6. Stage

Bake the artichokes: Put about 1 inch of boiling water in the bottom of a Dutch oven that will snugly hold the artichokes. Add 2 slices of lemon, a bay leaf, the 2 remaining garlic cloves, halved, to the water. Place the artichokes sitting upright in the water. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover the pot tightly with a lid. (Remember to cover the dish or this method will not work!) Bake for 1 hour at 375°F (190°C), or until a knife easily penetrates the heart of the artichoke or you can easily remove one of the outer petals. (Depending on the size of the artichoke baking time can vary from 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or longer.) Remove the cover and broil for a minute or so, enough to get some browning on the top of the stuffing. Remove artichokes to a serving dish to serve. The Parmesan adds a good amount of saltiness, but if you prefer more salt, add more to taste.