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1
Prepare the artichokes by first peeling off the outer leaves that are tough and hard, beginning from the base, removing the leaves until you see they become more tender. Once you've done this, with a small, sharp knife, begin trimming the top points of the artichoke's remaining leaves, again working from the base up. When you reach halfway or so, cut the top half (or third, depending on how tender the artichokes are) of the artichoke completely off. Rub the artichokes all over with half a lemon.
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2
Now trim the stem; chop the bottom off, leaving about 2 to 3 inches of stem and then trim it, peeling away the outer layer of the stem and the bottom of the artichoke so you have just the tender inner part of the stem attached. Place the artichokes in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon until they are ready for frying. Drain completely and pat dry with kitchen paper before frying.
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3
Heat about 3 inches of olive oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat and fry the artichokes gently (if you have a candy thermometer, this should be about 300u00b0 F or 150u00b0 C) for about 10 minutes, prodding them with a fork every now and then, letting them roll around to cook thoroughly.
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4
Remove and drain the artichokes on paper towels. When cool enough to handle (you can also pop them into the freezer for a couple minutes to do this quickly), help open up the artichoke carefully by teasing some of the leaves out and flattening the artichoke a little.
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5
Turning the heat up higher (this time about 350u00b0F or 180u00b0C), deep fry the artichokes, head down (tongs are handy for this) for a couple of minutes or until crisp and a deep, deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels then serve while still hot, sprinkled with sea salt and some pepper.
