Poached Artichokes - lemons

Method

• Fill a large bowl with water.
• Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the water.
• The lemon water will slow the oxidation of the artichokes as they are prepared for cooking.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Set up an ice bath; set aside.
• Discard the first two layers of leaves from each artichoke.
• Trim the tops of the leaves toward the heart so that 1 1/2 inches (3.75 centimeters) of leaves are still attached to the artichoke heart and stem.
• Use a vegetable peeler to trim around the base of the artichoke until the tender heart flesh is just exposed.
• Remove more layers of the leaves if they interfere with the peeling of the artichoke heart.
• Use the peeler to remove the outer dark green skin of the heart and stem.
• Start at the edge of the heart and peel upward toward the stem end.
• Peel in long uniform strokes, rotating the artichoke so it is peeled evenly.
• When the coarse exterior skin is removed and the white interior flesh is free of fibers, trim the tip of the stem.
• Peel off the tender interior leaves to expose the heart of the artichoke, which is full of the inedible fibers known as the choke.
• Use a medium melon baller or a spoon to gently remove these fibers.
• Cut the artichoke into 8 wedges and drop them into the lemon water.
• If an artichoke starts discoloring as it is being cleaned, dip it briefly in the lemon water and continue trimming.
• Remove the artichokes from the water and divide them between 4 vacuum-seal or zip-top bags.
• Add equal parts of olive brine to each bag and quickly turn the artichoke slices in the bag to coat them with the brine.
• Vacuum seal the bags, or close the zip-top bags while squeezing out as much air as possible.
• Depending on the size of the pot, drop anywhere from 1 to 4 bags into the boiling water and cook for 20 minutes.
• To see if the artichokes are done, remove a bag and gently squeeze a piece of artichoke.
• It should be firm but feel tender.
• When the artichokes are done, place the bags in the ice bath to cool quickly.
• When the artichokes are cold, place the bags in the refrigerator and let rest for a few hours before serving to allow the artichoke flavor to develop.