Roman Jewish Fried Artichokes

Name: Roman Jewish Fried Artichokes (Carciofi Fritti)
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: 12 baby artichokes; 3 lemons; Oil for frying (olive oil is traditional, but feel free to use a high spoke point oil like canola, vegetable or grapeseed too. Or a combo!); Salt; Mayonnaisse or aioli for dipping

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Roman Jewish fried artichokes are baby artichokes trimmed into flower shapes and deep-fried in two stages—first at 275°F to tender the hearts, then at 350°F for golden, crispy leaves. They're served immediately with salt, lemon, and mayo for dipping.

More like this:🌍Jewish 🏷️Artichokes 🏷️Fried 🏷️Italian 🏷️Roman

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From Whatjewwannaeat

Ingredients

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12 baby artichokes
3 lemons
Oil for frying (olive oil is traditional, but feel free to use a high spoke point oil like canola, vegetable or grapeseed too. Or a combo!)
Salt
Mayonnaisse or aioli for dipping

5 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Set aside a large bowl of water and squeeze the juice from two lemons in the bowl. Throw the lemons in too while you are at it. This will prevent our artichokes from browning as we prep them.
2
Taking one at a time, pick off the darker spiky outer leaves until you are left with the pale green bulb. Then, slice the leaves in half where the bulb starts to turn in, leaving a spiral flower shape! Trim the fibrous pieces off of the stem too. put the artichoke in the water and continue with the other pieces.
3
Now, time to fry. Heat up about 2 inches of oil to 275 degrees F. It doesn't have to be enough oil to cover the pieces as we will flip them while frying. Set aside a cooling rack over a towel. Fry the artichokes for about 10 minutes, flipping periodically, until a knife entered near the stem enters easily.
4
Remove the artichokes and heat the oil up to 350 degrees F. When cool enough to handle, spread the leaves out to make them flower shaped. Pretty! If you are using larger artichokes, remove the choke at this point.
5
Fry the artichokes for 3-4 more minutes until golden in color. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lemon and a dip in mayo!

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Trim outer leaves aggressively until you reach the pale green bulb—this removes bitterness and ensures even cooking.
Use a thermometer for both oil temperatures: 275°F for the tender fry (10 min) and 350°F for the crispy finish (3–4 min). Skipping or rushing the first stage leaves centers hard.
Flip artichokes periodically during the first fry to ensure even cooking without full oil coverage.
Spread leaves into a flower shape after the first fry while still warm—this creates more surface area for crisping and improves texture.

Substitutions

Mayonnaise → aioli (garlic or lemon aioli pairs well)
Olive oil → high smoke-point oil like canola or grapeseed (or use a blend)

Storage & make-ahead

Best served immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 1 day but won't regain crispness when reheated.

Equipment

deep-fry or candy thermometer · cooling rack

Common Questions

Can I use regular large artichokes instead of baby artichokes?

Yes, but you'll need to remove the fuzzy choke at the center after the second fry. Cooking times may increase slightly depending on size.

What oil should I use for frying?

Olive oil is traditional, but you can use canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or a combination. The key is heating to the correct temperatures: 275°F first, then 350°F.