Carciofi alla romana

The story

Rome cooks artichokes in two classic ways. Alla giudia, from the Jewish-Roman kitchen, they are fried twice in olive oil until crisp. Alla romana, they are stuffed with herbs and garlic and braised standing upright in olive oil and a little water, a dish Turismo Roma, the city's tourist office, describes by its "characteristic standing shape." The variety is the Romanesco artichoke, harvested in lower Lazio from January to April, and Roman recipes call for mammole or cimaroli. They grow in the Roman countryside and around towns such as Sezze, Velletri and Tarquinia. The herb that marks the dish is mentuccia, a wild calamint milder than garden mint. The last artichokes of the season are still in Roman markets as Easter arrives, and at the Roman Easter breakfast they are cooked with lamb offal as coratella con i carciofi. In spring Romans also cook artichokes with fresh peas. The dish is cooked ahead and served warm or at room temperature, so make it in the morning and set it beside roast lamb and potatoes.