Wash the artichokes. Working one artichoke at a time, hold it on the palm of your hand and, with a paring knife, remove the leaves closer to the stem by gently pulling them. Remove at least two layers of leaves, or until a lighter green color starts to show.
Remove most of the stem and discard.
Place the artichoke on its side on a cutting board and transversally cut about 1 inch off the top.
Slice the artichoke lengthwise into 1/4 inch-wide slices.
Place the slices in a bowl with water and the teaspoon of lemon juice unitl ready to use (the lemon helps them not to blacken).
Method 1:
On the stove top, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil between batches, fry the slices of artichoke, about 2 minutes per side. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels. To serve, remove the paper towels, sprinkle with scales of sea salt and serve immediately.
Method 2:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the slices of artichoke on an oven tray lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil and place the tray in the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes. Turn the slices of artichoke over and bake for another 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with scales of sea salt. Serve immediately.