Name: Stuffed Artichokes
Cook time: 2 1/4 hr
Total time: 3 1/2 hr
Yield: Makes 8 (first course) servings
Ingredients: 4 cups fine fresh bread crumbs from an Italian loaf (1/2 pound); 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 ounces); 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (5 cloves); 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1/2 cup minced sweet soppressata (dried Italian sausage; 2 1/2 ounces); 1 cup finely chopped provolone cheese (1/4 pounds); 1/4 cup olive oil; 8 medium artichokes (8 to 9 ounces each); 1 lemon, halved; 1 cup water, divided; 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided; 1 cup olive oil, divided; 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, divided; Equipment: a 6- to 8-qt pressure cooker or a wide 4- to 6-qt heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid

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Stuffed ArtichokesDitte Isager

A bit of soppressata and cheese stuffed ingeniously between each leaf gives these artichokes a heartiness worthy of a special course. (Eat them as you normally would, scraping the leaf with your teeth—but in this case you'll get a mouthful of flavor-packed filling, too.) Using a pressure cooker speeds up cooking time and also results in incredibly tender artichokes.

Cooks' notes:

· Stuffing can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.
· Artichokes can be stuffed (but not cooked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
· Stuffed artichokes can be cooked 4 hours ahead and reheated in a microwave oven.