Crab-Stuffed Artichokes

From EatingWell: March/April 2008 — Subscribe Now!

Crabmeat and Old Bay seasoning flavor the breadcrumbs for these stunning stuffed artichokes.

4 servings

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Stuffing

8 ounces lump crabmeat, any shells or cartilage removed, chopped
1 3/4 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs, (see Ingredient Note)
1 large shallot, minced
1 stalk celery, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Artichokes

4 large artichokes, (2 1/2-3 1/2 pounds total)
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.
To prepare stuffing: Combine crabmeat, breadcrumbs, shallot, celery, capers, Old Bay seasoning, pepper, lemon juice and oil in a medium bowl.
To prepare artichokes: Cut off the top 1 inch of leaves from an artichoke. Remove the outer layer of small, tough leaves from the stem end. Snip all remaining spiky tips from the outer leaves. Cut off the stem to make a flat bottom. (Discard the stem.) Starting at the outer layers and progressing inward, pull the leaves apart to loosen. Pull open the leaves at the center until you see the spiky, lighter leaves around the heart. Pull out those lighter leaves to expose the fuzzy choke. Scoop out the choke with a melon baller or grapefruit spoon and discard. Repeat this step with the remaining artichokes.
Spoon 1/2 cup stuffing into the center of an artichoke. Stuff an additional 1/2 cup stuffing between the outer leaves, toward the base, using a small spoon. Repeat with the remaining artichokes and stuffing. Divide any remaining stuffing among the artichokes.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and lemon juice; bring to a simmer. Carefully stand the artichokes upright in the pan. Drizzle each artichoke with 1 teaspoon oil.
Cover, transfer the pot to the oven and bake until tender when pierced down through the center with a knife, about 50 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the stuffing is slightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the braising liquid and serve. Use the braising liquid for dipping if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate stuffing (Step 2) for up to 1 day. Prep and stuff artichokes (Steps 3-4) up to 1 hour ahead.

Ingredient note: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs.

Nutrition

Per serving: 254 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 19 g protein; 8 g fiber; 835 mg sodium; 560 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Iron (28% dv), Folate (25% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Calcium (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat