Tender and Crispy Fried Baby Artichokes!
These Crispy Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes (referred to as Carciofi alla Giudia in Italian) are a staple for Hanukkah. The artichokes are deep-fried until golden brown and crispy, giving them a unique flavor that is both earthy and sweet. You can enjoy simply with a squeeze of fresh lemon and some flaky salt, but personally I love to dip them in homemade aioli sauce.
Carciofi alla Giudia originated in the Jewish ghetto of Rome in the 16th century as a way to prepare artichokes in an economical — and Kosher! — way. These whole fried artichokes are still prepared regularly in many Jewish homes around the world (there’s no flour, egg, or batter). I’m thrilled to share them both with my own family and with yours.
Check out more of my easy Hanukkah recipes, including my famous homemade Potato Latkes, Grammy’s Cinnamon Applesauce, and our Cream Filled Donuts (Sufganyot)!
Ingredient Notes
- Baby artichokes or larger Roman artichokes: Note, you do not want to use canned or frozen artichoke hearts for this recipe.
- Lemons: These will be added to cool water. The cleaned artichokes soak in lemon water to help prevent oxidizing (where the artichokes turn brown and discolored) before frying.
- Extra virgin olive oil, for frying. While we often recommend neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola oil for frying, the artichokes benefit from the flavor of extra virgin. Also, we’re not deep frying at a high temperature, so it can handle the heat.
- Kosher salt, lemon wedges, and aioli or other dipping sauces for serving.
Easy Instructions
Full quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Clean the artichokes, then immediately place in water with lemon. Head to the recipe card for full instructions on how to trim and clean whole artichokes.
- Drain, then pat dry with paper towels. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a large pot.
- First fry! The first fry has one purpose: to make the whole artichokes tender. Fry for about 5-10 minutes for small artichokes or 15 minutes for larger ones. Work in batches, then transfer to a paper towel lined wire rack. Increase the heat to medium-high.
- Remove the chokes: This is only necessary if using larger artichokes!
- Gently press into a flower shape, then fry again! This time the goal is to brown and crisp up the artichokes. They’ll cook in 30-60 seconds if smaller, or 1-2 minutes if larger. Transfer once again to a wire rack with paper towels. Season with a pinch of Kosher salt, then enjoy immediately while warm!
Troubleshooting
- When choosing artichokes, look for ones that are heavy, firm, and have tightly closed leaves. Avoid artichokes that are soft, have brown leaves, or are cracked.
- To trim artichokes, start by cutting off the tip of the stem. Use kitchen shears to trim the tips of the leaves. Next, peel back the tough outer leaves until the reach the tender, light green leaves. Finally, cut off the top of the artichoke, about ½-inch below the thorns.
- Only remove the chokes if you’re using a larger artichoke. The smaller artichokes have more tender hearts and therefore don’t need to be removed.
- This recipe is not intended for jarred or canned artichokes.
- While I often recommend frying in neutral oil, tradition dictates that these are fried in extra virgin olive oil at a lower temperature.
Expert Tips
- To make sure that the artichokes cook evenly, it is important to fry them in batches. When you overcrowd the pan, the temperature of the oil will lower. This prevents the artichokes from cooking evenly.
- Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the artichokes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Season the artichokes with Kosher salt after frying. Salt adheres better to warm foods, so this is the best time to season them!
- Artichokes: you can use larger or smaller artichokes. My preference is for smaller artichokes, as it’s easier for them to be fully submerged in oil when frying. Larger artichokes may need to be turned every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
- If using large artichokes, you’ll need to remove the fuzzy heart at the center.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- Can these be made-ahead? Because they’re deep fried, Jewish-style artichokes are definitely best enjoyed fresh for best flavor and texture.
- Leftovers and storage: If you do have leftovers, however, store them in an airtight container on a paper towel (to absorb any excess oil). When you go to reheat them, place in an oven preheated to 400F and warm on a sheet pan until they crisp up again, about 7-10 minutes.
- We do not recommend freezing fried artichokes. They’re definitely best fresh. If you really want to, just be sure to drain on paper towels extremely well so there’s no excess grease. Freeze in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Use within 3 months. They will never be as crispy as they were straight out of the oil, though!
Recommended Ways For Serving
Jewish-style fried artichokes are typically served as an appetizer or side dish. They can be served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as aioli, marinara sauce, or this easy tartar sauce recipe. Fried artichokes can also be served on a platter with other appetizers, such as marinated olives, cheese, and crackers.
Substitutions
- Don’t have lemon juice? Soak the cleaned, trimmed artichokes in water and white vinegar. Otherwise the artichokes will quickly oxidize and turn brown.
- Consider sprinkling with grated Parmesan for a cheesy finish!
These are seriously so delicious. That crunch is everything! If you love artichokes, you’ll definitely want to give this a try as soon as possible!
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Crispy Jewish-Style Fried-Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia)
Golden brown and crispy, these Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes are fun to make and delicious to eat! A Roman-Jewish staple, we like to enjoy them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or aioli for dipping. Gluten-free, dairy-free.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 714kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs baby artichokes (or 6 larger Roman artichokes), not artichoke hearts or Jerusalem artichokes
- 2 medium lemons, halved
- 4-6 cups extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Optional: aioli or other dipping sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the water. Fill a large bowl with cool water, then squeeze the juice from 2 lemons inside. Add the lemon halves directly to the bowl.
- Clean the artichokes. Cut about ½-inch off the top of each artichoke, then remove the tougher, outer leaves until you get to the pale-green yellow leaves. Next, use a paring knife to shave off the outer fibrous layer from each stem (this can also be done with a vegetable peeler), as well as cutting off and discarding the bottom ¼-inch. Immediately place cleaned artichokes into the lemon water. Repeat with remaining artichokes. Allow them to soak for 10 minutes before proceeding.
- Drain the artichokes, then pat dry well with paper towels to remove excess water.
- Heat the oil. Heat oil in a large deep pot over medium heat until it reaches 275F, no higher or they’ll burn. There should be enough oil that the artichokes are fully submerged while cooking, about 3-inches.
- Fry the artichokes. Carefully add the artichokes to the hot oil, then cook until they’re tender, but not browned, about 5-10 minutes for smaller artichokes, or up to 15 minutes for larger artichokes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature of the oil. Work in batches, if needed.
- Press into a flower shape. Use a spider or slotted spoon to carefully remove the artichokes (allowing excess oil to drip back into the pot). Place on a paper towel lined wire rack, then cool for a few minutes until you’re able to handle them. Either use your hands to open up the artichoke leaves so it resembles a flower or very gently press them down gently onto a cutting board. Note: if using larger artichokes, you should use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy heart at the center and discard.
- Fry again. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the temperature of the oil up to 350F. Once hot and working in batches, carefully add a few of the artichokes at a time to the oil. Make sure there’s a little space between the artichokes so as not to overcrowd the pot. Cook for 30-60 seconds for smaller artichokes, or about 1-2 minutes for larger artichokes, or until they’re a deep golden brown and crispy.
- Drain the artichokes. Carefully transfer each fried artichoke to a paper towel lined wire rack then sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt while still warm. I like to turn them cut side down (to allow excess oil to drip off) after seasoning. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy with lemon wedges and/or aioli.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are an estimate. It’s difficult to quantify how much oil is being absorbed by the artichokes.
- Artichokes: you can use larger or smaller artichokes. My preference is for smaller artichokes, as it’s easier for them to be fully submerged in oil when frying. Larger artichokes may need to be turned every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Artichoke hearts: If you’re using larger artichokes, you’ll want to remove the fuzzy heart at the center. The smaller ones you can generally leave in. The best time to remove artichoke hearts is after their first dip in hot oil. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out with a spoon.
- While I often fry in neutral oil, this recipe really needs olive oil. Don’t worry, it won’t burn – the temperature is low enough.
- Feel free to garnish with chopped herbs for a pop of green!
- Can these be made-ahead? Because they’re deep fried, Jewish-style artichokes are definitely best enjoyed fresh for best flavor and texture.
- Leftovers and storage: If you do have leftovers, however, store them in an airtight container on a paper towel (to absorb any excess oil). When you go to reheat them, place in an oven preheated to 400F and warm on a sheet pan until they crisp up again, about 7-10 minutes.
- We do not recommend freezing fried artichokes. They’re definitely best fresh. If you really want to, just be sure to drain on paper towels extremely well so there’s no excess grease. Freeze in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Use within 3 months. They will never be as crispy as they were straight out of the oil, though!
Nutrition
Calories: 714kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 53g | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1358IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
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Photography by: Jo Harding.
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