In a large bowl, we're going to create acidulated water* (which is just a fancy term for water with lemons) that helps keep your artichokes from turning brown! Fill the bowl with water and the squeezed juice of the lemons, along with the full lemon rinds.
In a small bowl, mix salt and pepper and set aside.
Prepping the Artichokes
Remove the tough outer leaves until you only have the tender and pale leaves of the inside remaining. It should look like a closed 'rose' similar to the picture here.
With a pairing knife, trim off the top 1/3 of the leaves. It should now look like a closed 'rose bud'
Trim the stem to about 1 inch, and use a peeler on the remaining stem to remove the tough fibrous exterior.
Fully immerse the artichoke in the acidulated (lemon) water, while you work on the rest of them.
Repeat until all are completed.
1st Round of Frying
In a Dutch oven, put in enough oil to completely cover the artichokes (about 3-4 inches)
While waiting for the oil to heat, remove the artichokes from the lemon water to dry them on top of paper towels. We recommend tapping the top of the artichoke against the table to loosen any water droplets that are inside of the leaves.
Sprinkle them with the salt and pepper mixture.
Once the oil is about 325F, you can place them in.
Cook for about 15 minutes making sure to occasionally turn them over with tongs. You'll know they're complete once they start to turn a golden color.
Remove with a slotted spoon and lay them stem-facing up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Removing the Chokes
Once the artichokes have cooled, gently open the leaves and remove the choke* (that 'fuzzy' bit on the inside) with a melon baller. This is also a good time to try and get the leaves to spread open as much as possible.
With the stem facing up, they can be covered and left in the fridge or at room temp until you're ready to do the 2nd round of frying. We recommend doing the 2nd round of frying right before serving so that they are as crisp and fresh as possible.
2nd Round of Frying
In a Dutch oven, put in enough oil to completely cover the artichokes (about 3-4 inches) and heat to 350F. This can be the same oil as the first round, or a completely different oil if you choose.
Place them stem-facing up in the oil until they crisp, working in batches.
If you want, you can also carefully use tongs to push them to the bottom of the pot. This will help to brown the top of the artichoke even further, and will also get the leaves to 'blossom' open like a flower.
Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them stem-facing up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.