Rinse off two Globe artichokes or 4 of the smaller Italian artichokes. One by one, place on a cutting board and chop off the stem. Slice 1/3 off the top of the leaves. Peel quite a few of the outer leaves at the base till you get to the tender ones. Yes, you will be discarding quite a bit of the artichoke. Finally, slice thinly lengthwise. Immediately place in a bowl of water with 1 lemon cut in half (squeeze the juice over the slices as you put them in the water) to stop them from browning.

In a large, shallow pan on medium heat pour a good glugg of olive oil, 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped, and a handful of finely chopped parsley. Scatter the artichoke slices overtop. Add the juice of 1 lemon, and top off with a ¼ cup water (to keep the artichokes from drying out). Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover the pan and continue cooking a few minutes more till the artichokes are just tender.

Uncover the pan, ensure most of the liquid has evaporated before transferring to two plates.  Drizzle with additional olive oil, add a sprinkling of chopped parsley and scatter shavings of parmesan (optional).

Serves 2 as an appetiser.