Artichokes Three Ways: alla Romana, alla Giudia and Fried

Step 1

Artichokes alla Romana: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a bowl with water and halve and squeeze 2 lemons into it. Trim and clean all artichokes. Transfer cleaned artichokes to bowl of lemon water as you go. Mince 2 cups parsley, 5 mint leaves and 1 garlic clove. Put them all in a bowl and season with 2 Tbsp. oil, salt and pepper to taste. With a melon baller, remove the chokes from 4 artichokes. Stuff with minced herbs and set them, upside down, next to each other in a tall baking dish (5 1/2" across). Sprinkle with salt and cover with 1 part water to 2 parts olive oil. Bake for around 1 hour.

Step 2

Artichokes alla Giudia:  Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Open 4 artichokes like flowers by gently opening the leaves and pressing them as flat as possible. Dry them, season the insides with salt and pepper. Fry for 10 minutes in enough olive oil to cover them halfway. Turn over and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve.

Step 3

Fried Artichokes: Bring peanut oil to 350°F over medium-high heat. Beat the eggs with 2 Tbsp. oil, 2 Tbsp. flour, salt and pepper. Cut the remaining artichokes into 4 wedges, dip them in the batter and fry for 3 minutes.

Step 4

Serve one piece of each preparation per person. Serve hot.