Artichoke Pancakes With Goat Cheese - hearts

Method

• Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• If using fresh artichokes, prepare as follows:.
• - To prepare artichoke bottoms, slice off the stems of the artichokes and remove any tough outer leaves. Place them in a large non-aluminum pot and cover them with cold water. Squeeze the lemons into the pot, add the juice and the lemon halves to the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a medium and cook until the artichokes are tender, about 25 minutes. Use the tines of a fork to check for tenderness.
• Place the artichokes in the ice water. When they are cool enough to handle, drain and remove the leaves and the fuzzy chokes. Trim off the edges of the bottoms.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the artichoke bottoms, eggs, and water in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blend until creamy. Pour into a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and combine until the mixture forms a thick paste.
• Whip the egg whites in a dry copper or stainless steel bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Gently fold into the artichoke mixture.
• Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Drop dollops of batter (about 2 tablespoons per pancake), a few at a time, into the hot oil. When the edges begin to stiffen, turn the pancakes over and cook until lightly golden, abut 2 minutes. Place the pancakes on an oven proof plate.
• Combine the goat cheese and sour cream in a small mixing bowl. Top each pancake with a large dollop of the goat cheese mixture and place in the oven until the cheese just begins to melt, about 2 minutes.