Best made with the hearts of fresh artichokes, but that is an expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive route. I won’t say frozen artichoke hearts are just as good, but they are worth using, and that’s what most people do—increasingly, even in Italy. The tenderness and subtle flavor of the vegetable still comes through. I like to fry these in olive oil, but it’s not essential.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil like corn or grapeseed as needed

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 eggs, lightly beaten

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

　　1 cup fairly fine bread crumbs, preferably homemade (page 580)

　　8 artichoke hearts, fresh (see page 72) or thawed frozen

　　Lemon wedges for serving

　　

Step 1

Heat at least 1 inch of oil in a wide saucepan or deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

　　

Step 2

Season the eggs and, if you like, combine the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; season this mixture, too. When the oil is ready—a pinch of the bread crumbs will sizzle—dip each heart in the eggs, then roll in the bread crumbs. Add them to the oil, one at a time, and fry without crowding (it’s unlikely you’ll need to do this in batches, but if your pan is small, you might), turning as necessary, until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately—on a plate lined with a cloth napkin, if you want to be fancy—with the lemon wedges.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.