First of all clean the artichokes, cutting off the stalk and the outer, tougher leaves, until you reach the leaves at the base that are tenderer and lighter in colour. Cut off about two centimeters from the the leaves left on. Place the cleaned artichokes in a bowl of cold water with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Blanch the whole artichokes in boiling water for 10 minutes. (if you bought already trimmed and boiled artichoke hearts, start from here)

In the meantime make the citronette. Wash the lemon and peel off the zest (make sure your lemon is organic and that its peel is edible), cut it in thin strips. Mix the lemon juice with the olive oil in a small bowl, then add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.

Drain the artichokes from the water, cut them into quarters and remove the “beard” inside. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Mix a few tablespoons of rye flour with the same amount of breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, add a little salt and pepper. Dip the quartered artichokes in the beaten egg, then dredge them in the flour mixture.

Heat a good amount of oil in a small pot and fry the artichokes in the hot oil, for about 6 or 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate, patting them dry with more paper to remove excess fat.

Cut the sandwich rolls in half, spread the bases with the soft cheese, then palce half of the fried artichokes on each sandwich and sprinkle with citronette. Layer two or three slices of prosciutto di San Daniele and top with the rocket salad, sprinkling a little more citronnette, close the sandwiches with the top half of the rolls.