Juice of 1 lemon
6 garlic cloves
4 large but tender artichokes with stems
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
4 small whole dried peperoncino peppers or 1 teaspoon crushed
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups good vegetable or chicken stock

Directions:

Cut the lemon and squeeze the lemon juice into one quart of water.

With a sharp paring knife, pull off the tough outside leaves of the artichokes, proceeding from the bottom to the top and cutting off the top third.

Peel the stem and place the artichoke in the lemon water. Keep in lemon water until you finish cleaning all the artichokes. Remove the artichoke from the water, drain it well and pat it dry with a towel.

In a deep pan, where the artichokes fit snugly, set them with their stems up. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes, covered, then serve in a soup plate with juices from the pan.