The Palanza Stuffed Artichoke

I recently posted a recipe for steamed artichokes and now I'll share my Italian family recipe for the stuffed version. We could almost always count on stuffed artichokes being served at our family gatherings. For me it was love at first bite. Eating the leaves, the stuffing, and then the heart is the order I like to follow.
Here's what you'll need to get started.  This recipe makes five artichokes:

 Trims the tops off  the artichokes.  Also trim the tips off the next few rows of leaves:

 

Then rinse them well and gently pull the leaves apart:

Flip them over to drain any excess water:

For the stuffing cut one baguette of good french bread into 1/2 inch cubes:

Chop some fresh parsley.  I put the extra into a small container and freeze it.  It's very handy to have around.

Chop 2 cloves of fresh garlic:

Place bread, 2 tbsp of parsley, the garlic and 1 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese into a mixing bowl:

Beat two eggs in a bowl (I always use organic eggs):

Add eggs to the bread mixture and 1/3 cup of water,1 tbsp olive oil, and pepper.  You won't need salt as the cheese is salty.  Mix well and let sit until all the bread cubes are soaked through:

Place the opened artichoke on a cutting board and fill with stuffing.  Be sure to push down into the artichoke:

Place the stuffed artichokes into a heavy pan with a few inches of water and a tbsp of olive oil:

When the water comes to a boil, cover them and simmer for about an hour or until the middle leaves pull out easily:

Place the artichokes in a baking dish, sprinkle with a little Pecorino Romano cheese, and place under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the tops:

Enjoy! One of these makes for a great meal.