Artichoke Bottoms Fried

Pare off the bottoms of some young, tender and stringless artichokes; after cutting away the green part divide each one in four, remove the choke and cut the leaves at half an inch from the bottom; divide each quarter in four and throw them at once into a pan of water acidulated with vinegar; drain and lay them in a vessel with salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice. Prepare a frying paste with flour, diluted with water, adding a few egg-yolks and a little olive oil; whip the whites to a stiff froth and beat them into the paste; dip each piece of artichoke into this and plunge them in hot frying fat; cook slowly, drain, wipe and salt over with salt; dress on a folded napkin with a bunch of parsley on top.