Carciofi

Carciofi Recipe

12 baby artichokes
3 lemons
Oil for frying (olive oil is traditional,
we used avocado oil)
Kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place artichokes in a large bowl of water. Squeeze the juice from two lemons over the artichokes, then add the lemon rinds into the water. This will prevent artichokes from browning.
• Remove the dark green spiky outer leaves from each artichoke, until it is a pale green bulb. Slice the leaves in half where the bulb starts at the top, leaving a spiral flower shape. Trim the fibrous pieces from the bottom of the stem.
• Return each artichoke to the water until they have all been trimmed, then set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat about two inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. The oil should reach halfway up the artichoke.
• Set up a wire cooling rack over a tray.
• Fry the artichokes for about 10 minutes, flipping periodically, until a knife entered near the stem enters easily. The artichokes will be more poached than fried at this stage.
• Remove the artichokes and heat the oil to 350°F.
• When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, carefully spread the leaves outwards to create a flower shape. If using larger artichokes, remove the choke at this point.
• Fry the artichokes for 3 to 4 more minutes until golden in color. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon.