King Crab Stuffed Artichoke Leaves

Artichokes are my favorite vegetable, and I never cease to delight in creating different ways to prepare and serve them. This special appetizer may seem like it would break the bank, but it is actually very economical – and special enough to serve at the most important of events or a holiday gathering. Because it calls for only 2 ounces of cream cheese it also ends up being a very healthy alternative to many standard appetizer offerings. The recipe is enough for filling about 36 artichoke leaves, depending on how much you put on of course, and needs only two large artichokes to make it happen. And the King Crab?

King crab meat is available frozen, picked clean from the shell and shredded. I suppose it is the natural result of culling the perfect legs from those that can’t be sold whole – and that’s OK with me! It’s the real deal, and even though frozen still has the wonderful brininess and freshness that makes this crab so popular.  A 7 ounce package is under $4 here, and since my recipe calls for only half a package, for only a small amount of  money you have somethng fantastic and not often indulged in. If you do not have the frozen in your market, use fresh!  If using frozen crab meat, let the meat thaw while the two artichokes are steaming.

Steam the artichokes, stems on, for about 40 minutes for large ones.  When the artichokes have finished steaming, drain well, cool, then remove the leaves. Save the nicest and largest leaves for stuffing. The ends of the softer leaves can be used to add to the stuffing, or if you’re like me …. well, they make a great snack while making this! My pup Finn is actually quite fond of artichokes, and he’s at my feet whenever I make them (he gets the soft ends and will even go so far as to scrape the meat off any leaf I hold onto for him!)  In other words, nothing goes to waste around here!

How to clean an Artichoke:

After removing the leaves chill them while making the stuffing.  Scrape the chokes from the artichoke bottoms, which can be removed quite easily with a small spoon.

When the choke has been removed, trim up any rough bits from the edges, and also trim down any stems you have. I think that something not everyone realizes is that the middle of the stems are very edible, and they taste just like the bottoms. Delicious! Just make sure to trim off the rough fiberous part and cut off the very end.

Ingredients for Crab Stuffed Artichoke Leaves:

• 2 trimmed bottoms and stems from steamed artichokes, finely diced
• 3 1/2 ounces king crab meat, thawed if frozen.
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dash of cayenne
• Capers (optional)

Combine the artichoke bottoms and stems, crab meat, lemon juice and the cream cheese with a fork. Once it is beginning to become incorporated, you can use a stick blender to briefly finish the job, or pulse in a food processor. Just don’t blend too much or you will lose the nice crab texture. Add a dash of cayenne pepper, and salt and season to taste. The amount of salt you use will vary greatly depending on the brininess of the crab you are using – do not add any until you’ve tasted!

Either fill the leaves immediately with a dollop of the stuffing and chill, or put the mixture in the fridge and fill the leaves just before serving.  Arrange on a plate or platter, garnish with a caper and enjoy!