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  Break off the hard outer leaves by bending them back. Continue to break off the leaves until you reach the soft part of the artichoke. The undersides of these leaves are a yellowish colour.
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  Cut off the topmost part of each artichoke - the tips of the leaves - with a sharp knife so that about 2, 5cm of the leaves remain on the stems. Immediately place the artichokes in a bowl of water containing lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring.
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  Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove the dark green parts of the leaves that remain on the stems, as well as the skin.
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  Cut off the bottom-most part of the stems. The artichokes can now be cooked.
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  Cut the artichokes into quarters. Heat the olive oil, water, onion, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and salt in a saucepan. Place the artichoke quarters in the saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
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  Remove the lid and allow the artichokes to simmer until they are soft but still firm when bitten. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Remove the artichokes, onions, thyme and peppercorns from the liquid and reduce until it just covers the bottom of the saucepan. Pour the reduced liquid over the artichokes and allow to cool. Keep in the refrigerator until required. Serve at room temperature.
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