Fried Artichokes

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Rinse and cut in half: 24 walnut-sized baby artichokes, top third trimmed off; two 9-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained; or three 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts in water, drained

2. Step 2.

   If using baby artichokes, pull off any tough outer leaves and trim the stems flush with the bottoms.

3. Step 3.

   Heat to 325°F in a large skillet over medium-high heat: 1 cup olive oil

4. Step 4.

   As the oil heats, mix in a shallow bowl: ½ cup flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper

5. Step 5.

   Lightly beat together in a second shallow bowl: 2 large eggs

6. Step 6.

   Toss the artichokes in the seasoned flour, then dip them into the eggs, turning to coat, and toss again in the flour. Keeping the oil near 325°F, fry the artichokes in batches, turning often, until golden and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not crowd the skillet. Drain briefly on paper towels, then pile them on a platter and season with: Salt

7. Step 7.

   Serve with: Lemon wedges

8. Step 8.

   ROMAN JEWISH-STYLE FRIED ARTICHOKES

9. Step 9.

   Here, artichokes are trimmed and steamed until just tender, then the leaves are splayed outward and the artichokes are fried. This method results in beautiful, golden artichokes that look like flowers.

10. Step 10.

    Wash: 4 large or 8 medium artichokes

11. Step 11.

    Trim off the tough outer leaves. Be aggressive when trimming. Cut off the top half of the artichokes, leaving only about 1 inch from the base of the heart to the top of the trimmed leaves. Trim and peel the stem and scrape out the choke. Place the artichokes stem side up in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches of boiling water. Cover and steam until just barely tender, about 8 minutes for medium artichokes and 12 minutes for large artichokes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

12. Step 12.

    With the artichokes stem side up on a work surface, gently splay the leaves outward and press down on the artichokes. The heart of the artichoke may split. This is okay. Simply splay the leaves as best you can.

13. Step 13.

    Heat to 325°F in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat: ½ inch olive oil

14. Step 14.

    Add the artichokes to the skillet, stem side up. Fry, maintaining the temperature of the oil at 325°F, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Use tongs to grab the stems and lay the artichokes on their sides in the oil and continue to fry, turning every couple of minutes, until the artichoke hearts and stems are completely tender and browned, about 6 minutes more. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and sprinkle immediately with: Salt (preferably flaky sea salt); (Lemon juice)

15. Step 15.

    To eat, separate the leaves from the heart one by one. The inner leaves should be completely tender. Some of the outer leaves may need to be scraped with your teeth. Eat the heart and the stem whole.