Carciofi Fritti Recipe

Trim and halve

Fill a large bowl with the cold water and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon; keep the lemon halves in the water. Working quickly to avoid browning, remove outer tough leaves from each artichoke until you reach the paler, more tender leaves. Trim the stem close to the base so that the artichoke can sit flat. Using a sharp knife, cut each artichoke in half lengthwise. Immediately rub any cut surfaces with the reserved lemon half and place each half cut-side down into the acidulated water to prevent browning.

Use a small spoon or paring knife to scoop out the fuzzy choke from the center of each artichoke half if present (more common with larger artichokes). Rinse briefly in the acidulated water to remove any debris. Drain the artichoke halves and pat them very dry with kitchen towels or paper towels. Drying well helps the coating stick and reduces oil splatter when frying.

Set up a dredging station: place 1/2 cup flour in a shallow bowl for dredging. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup semolina (if using), 1 tsp baking powder, 1.5 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) and gradually whisk in about 1 cup very cold sparkling water or cold beer until the batter is smooth and has a consistency slightly thicker than heavy cream. Adjust with a little more water or flour to achieve a coating batter that clings to a spoon but still runs slowly.

Working in batches, dust each artichoke half lightly in the dredging flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the floured artichoke halves into the batter, turning to coat evenly and allowing excess batter to drip back into the bowl.

Pour about 3 to 4 inches (7–10 cm) of neutral frying oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 350–360°F (175–180°C). Use a thermometer to maintain temperature; too cool yields greasy artichokes, too hot burns the batter.

Carefully lower battered artichoke halves into the hot oil in a single layer, without overcrowding — fry in batches (3–4 halves at a time depending on pot size). Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3–5 minutes per side; total 5–8 minutes depending on size. Turn once if needed to brown evenly. If your halves are thick, test one for doneness by piercing the base with a knife — it should be tender.

Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer fried artichokes to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or to paper towels to drain. Immediately season with a little flaky salt while still hot. Keep finished batches warm in a low oven (about 200°F / 90°C) on the rack while you fry remaining batches.

When all artichokes are fried, sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley if using and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over. Optionally offer aioli or a lemon-garlic mayo for dipping.