Ingredients for 4 people:8 artichokes200 g plain Flour200 ml sparkling water plenty of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for frying)2 lemons
salt
Fill a basin with water; juice the lemons and then add both the juice and the squeezed lemon halves to the water. Use a sharp knife to shorten the stalk of each artichoke, leaving a piece roughly 5 cm long. Pull off the outer, tougher petals; cut the top off, trim the tips of the outer layers, starting from the top and going round until you reach the bottom, then peel the stalk. After this “treatment”, after cleaning, the artichoke is much smaller, in fact you need to get to the “heart” of this vegetable. Rub the “head” with one of the squeezed lemon halves, then cut the artichoke in half. If you find any “fluff” inside (the choke), eliminate that as well. As you clean them, put the artichokes into the water and lemon juice you prepared at the beginning. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes, then strain well, pat them dry with kitchen paper and cut them in half again.
Now prepare the batter. Put the flour in a bowl and gradually add the sparkling water, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth, homogeneous and fairly runny. Heat plenty of olive oil in a deep pan. “Dry” the artichoke segments well, patting them with kitchen paper so you don’t have splashes of boiling hot oil while frying. Put them into the batter and carefully coat them with it. When the oil is nice and hot test it by dropping in a piece of bread: if it starts to sizzle immediately, the temperature is right. While frying the artichokes, carefully turn them over once or twice, gradually reducing the heat slightly so they cook inside as well and don’t burn. When they’re a nice golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan and lay them on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve straight away, while hot. Artichokes can be cooked in many ways, but fried (well!) they are an unforgettable delicacy.