Prepare some acidulated water for the artichokes to keep them from turning brown.

Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into a bowl large enough to comfortably hold the artichokes.

Place the lemons in the bowl with the juice and fill the bowl halfway with cold water.

As you clean the artichokes place them in the acidulated water.

Clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves and peeling away the outer layer of the stem.

Cut off the top ¼ to ⅓ of the artichoke.

Remove the inner beard and place the artichoke in acidulated water.

Once the artichokes are cleaned, drain them well, and pat dry.

Rap the artichokes gently on a cutting board to open them up.

Gently open them up a bit further by spreading leaves.

Deep fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown and tender on the inside in 150° C (300° F) oil, turning frequently.

Make sure the[amazon_textlink asin='B00008CM69' text=' pot ' template='ProductLink' store='flavorofita02-20' marketplace='US' link_id='fc409a30-04f9-11e8-8e7c-6df4e2ce3a73']you use for frying is deep enough to hold the oil and artichokes without any risk of overflowing. I suggest filling the pot no more than half way with oil. If necessary, fry the artichokes in batches.

It's essential to maintain the 300°F temperature to be sure the artichokes are tender on the inside and crisp & golden on the outside. I use a [amazon_textlink asin='B001689LAK' text='candy thermometer' template='ProductLink' store='flavorofita02-20' marketplace='US' link_id='9803f7c0-04f7-11e8-bc15-035de2e2c855'] to keep track of the temperature.

Remove the artichokes with a [amazon_textlink asin='B073WP7X1H' text='slotted spoon' template='ProductLink' store='flavorofita02-20' marketplace='US' link_id='cb3620a9-04f9-11e8-b0c7-f750301eb569'], then drain on a draining rack or brown paper placed on top of old newspapers.

Salt the artichokes and serve immediately, or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.