Recipe provided by Austin Personal Chef: Carlos Crusco Ingredients
1 cup chopped fresh parsley (for cooking and garnish)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (an Italian Soave would be good)
3 lemons – 2 cut into halves & 1 for the zest and juice
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 whole artichokes
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 Italian sausage links – medium heat
1 Swiss Chard – cut or torn into 3 inch pieces
1 red onion – sliced thin
1/2 cup homemade or store bought chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Put 3/4 of the parsley, bay leaves, 1/2 wine, & 1 of the halved lemons in a large pot & add 2 quarts of water & bring to a simmer – season with salt & pepper. Squeeze the other lemon in half & add to a large bowl of cold water – this water will be used to keep the artichoke hearts from discoloring.
Take artichokes & trim all but 1 ” from the stem. Break off all dark green leaves until only the pale green leaves remain. Slide the artichokes into the simmering broth. Then cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until there is no resistance when a knife is inserted into the base of each artichoke.
Place artichokes immediately into the ice cold water to cool off. Once cool and using a paring knife, trim off any dark green parts from the outer heart. Then, quarter the artichoke through the stem
Using a spoon, scrape out the inedible fuzzy choke at the center & place into cold lemon water so artichokes do not discolor – repeat same process with the rest. Set artichoke hearts aside for later use.
Take a large deep sauté pan at medium heat & add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage inside the casing in medium to large chunks and cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until cooked through. Once browned, take the sausage out of the pan & set aside.
Add oil to the pan (depending how much fat rendered from pork) and add Swiss Chard. Saute for 2-3 minutes and season with salt/pepper. Remove Chard from the pan and set aside. Maintain heat and add onions. Cook over moderate heat until caramelized/dark brown (10-12 minutes). Remove onions from the pan and set aside.
Finally, return the artichokes & sausage to the pan & cook over low heat for a few minutes just to warm through. Add some wine and the stock to the pan, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced and thickened. Swirl in the butter to emulsify and create a delicious sauce.
Spoon the artichokes, sausage and sauce onto a large platter. Add the Swiss chard and caramelized onions throughout. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
