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1
Select carefully the vessel in which you will fry the artichokes, as half their bulk must be immersed in the hot oil to cook them properly.
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2
In a large pot or deep fryer, warm the oil over a medium flame to ensure it heats evenly, without cold spots.
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3
Peel the artichoke stems to reveal their tender cores, tear away the hard petals, and trim the tips of the softer petals.
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4
Immerse the artichokes in very cold water, acidulated with the lemon juice, for 1/2 hour.
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5
Remove the artichokes from their acidy bath, drying them carefully on absorbent paper towels.
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6
Hold each artichoke by its stem or its stem end and forcefully slam it down onto a wooden board or marble slab to flatten it, spreading out its petals.
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7
Tuck generous pinches of sea salt and pepper between its petals.
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8
When the oil is very hotbut not at the maximum temperature of your deep fryerplace as many of the artichokes as will fit in the pan, stems up, leaving ample space for each of them to float about freely.
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9
Fry the artichokes for 6 to 7 minutes, turning often with tongs.
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10
Raise the heat to its maximum level and fry the artichokes for an additional 6 minutes, or until theyve blossomed into great, bronzed, green roses.
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11
Remove the artichokes from the oil to rest a moment on absorbent paper towels and then mist themusing a plant misterwith iced, sea-salted water, the spritz ensuring the fried thistles delectable crunch.
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12
Serve them as fast as you can, but only to people who are excited to eat them.
