Braised Squid With Artichokes - Recipe and Video - Mark Bittman April 9, 2012, 2:26 pm I did an artichoke recipe just about every year I wrote the Minimalist column. This one, a simple braise of artichokes and squid, was inspired by a trip to Liguria, a region in northwest Italy. The cooking is absurdly easy, but the prep is not. Artichokes are a nuisance to clean, and there are only two ways around it. One is to use frozen hearts, and that kills the dish, and the other is to move to Europe, where artichokes are sold pre-trimmed. There are men and women who work in the markets in Italy who clean artichokes by the case; they can trim down to the heart in about 10 seconds. The rest of us have to take our time, usually a few minutes for each one. Keep some acidulated water (10 percent vinegar or lemon juice) close by, since artichokes turn brown faster than just about any other vegetable or fruit. Buy cleaned squid, and the rest of the dish is a snap. The squid and the artichokes should become tender at around the same time, but if the artichokes are perfectly done and the squid isn't, start eating. A mushy overcooked artichoke is worse than a tough piece of squid. Braised Squid With Artichokes Yield 4 servings Time 1 hour Mark Bittman 1 lemon 4 large artichokes, trimmed 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 anchovy fillets, chopped (optional) 2 pounds cleaned squid, the bodies cut into rings 1/4 cup white wine Minced parsley for garnish. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into a bowl of water, and add the lemon halves. Cut the trimmed artichokes into 4 pieces each, and as they are done, add them to the lemon water. Place a large skillet or broad saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil; a minute later, add the garlic and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the anchovies break up and the garlic begins to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the squid, artichokes, and wine. Stir, cover and turn the heat to medium. Uncover and stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so. When the squid and artichokes begin to become tender, after 15 or 20 minutes, uncover and cookuntil most of the liquid has evaporated and the squid and artichokes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Season with pepper. It's highly unlikely this dish will need added salt, especially if you use anchovies, but taste and see. Stir in the remaining olive oil, garnish with the parsley and serve.