Carciofi alla giudia – fried artichokes

Get ready to prepare the artichokes by filling a large bowl with water. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water, placing the halves into the water too – it's important that you place your prepared artichokes straight into this acidulated water to prevent discolouration

Peel off the outer leaves of one of the artichokes until you get to the softer leaves in the centre

Using a small knife or vegetable peeler, remove the tough outer skin of the 'heart' and the stem of the artichoke. Rub with the lemon halves as you work to prevent discolouration

Next, use a sharp knife to slice off the remaining soft leaves from about halfway up. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the hairy 'choke' in the centre and place the artichoke in the acidulated water while you prepare the rest

Preheat a deep-fryer or deep pan of oil to 160°C

Remove the artichokes from the water and pat dry with kitchen paper – if they are too wet, they will spit when they hit the oil

Deep-fry until evenly golden all over, this should take about 5–8 minutes. Pierce with a knife in the thickest part of the base, it should slide through easily when ready

Drain on kitchen paper. Once they have cooled slightly, serve sprinkled with flaky sea salt