Artichoke Flowers - kilogram

Method

• First of all, the artichokes for this recipe have to be fresh and meaty (hard and firm when you grip them).
• Cut stem and bottom part out of each artichoke, as well as the tip (at about 1/3 of the total lenght of the artichoke once its bottom part has been removed).
• Cut the lemon in halves and use them to rub te exposed cuts in the artichokes as soon as you cut them, to avoid oxidation (which makes them dark).
• Remove all the leaves on the outer layers until you get to the inner parts which are more white-yellow than green.
• The artichokes will now have kind of a barrel shape.
• Put all those artichoke barrels upside down on a pot and fill it with olive oil up to a level a little less than half the height of the artichokes.
• Here comes the only tricky part of the recipe: You have to cook the artichokes in the oil at a very low temperature.
• Exactly how low or at what exact temperature I couldnt really tell you as I have never measured it (I dont get that technical when cooking).
• As a reference, I have a ceramic cooktop and I have to set a small burner power control at its 1 or 2 position (over a maximum of 6).
• Sometimes I have to change it up or down between those two power positions, so keep an eye on it to avoid bringing the oil to a boil (when you see it bubbling).
• You need to cook artichokes for about 20 minutes, covered.
• Then remove lid, turn the barrels upside down, put the lid on again and cook for other 20 minutes.
• Remove artichokes from the pot and drain on a plate for a few minutes.
• Use a couple of medium-sized spoons to gently open the leaves and start forming the flowers, beginning with the outer leaves.
• Move the artichoke flowers with care to their final serving plate, sprinkle some coarse salt over them, and enjoy!