Braised Artichokes

Put a couple of quarts (a couple liters) of water in a large bowl and add half the lemon juice to it.

Snap or trim off the outer artichoke leaves, leaving only the edible parts attached to the hearts. When the leaves form a pale yellow-green cone, cut off that cone at its base, right at the top of the heart, and scoop the hairy chokes out with a small spoon. Trim the stems so they’re about 2 inches (5 cm) long, and peel them, removing the stringy green layer and leaving the pale interior. Quarter the hearts and drop them into the bowl of acidulated water (the lemon juice helps to keep them from oxidizing).

Add a thin layer of olive oil to an iron skillet and set it over medium heat. Drain the artichokes, pat them dry, and lay them in the pan in a single layer. Brown them well on one cut side, then turn them all onto the other cut side and brown that as well, about 4 minutes per side. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits, and add a pinch of salt. Cover the pan and let it simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the artichokes in a bowl, pour the liquid from the pan over them, add the rest of the lemon juice and 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil. Sprinkle them with a bit more salt to taste, a few grinds of pepper, and the parsley. Toss, then let them rest until you’re ready to serve.