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1. Trim the bases of the artichokes flush and flat so they can stand upright. (As you cut them, rub these and all the rest of the cut edges with lemon juice to prevent discoloring.)
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2. Bend and snap off the small bottom leaves and any outer leavesthat are bruised or loose. Lay each artichoke on its side, grip it firmly, and slice about 1 inch off the top.
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3. With scissors, trim ¼ inch off the points of the leaves. In a large enameled kettle or soup pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a bubbling boil over high heat.
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4. Drop in the artichokes and cook them for 10 minutes, then drain and cool them upside down in a colander or large sieve. Now gently spread the top leaves of each one apart and pull out the tender inner core of thistlelike yellow leaves.
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5. With a long-handled spoon (iced-tea spoon size is ideal) carefully and thoroughly scrape out the hairy choke inside to leave the heart clean. Brush a few drops of lemon juice inside each artichoke.
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6. Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat the oil in a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet. Add the bread crumbs and cook them over moderate heat, stirring constantly, for 1 or 2 minutes, or until they are crisp and barely colored.
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7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the garlic. Then mix in the vinegar, mint, salt and a few grindings of pepper.
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8. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of stuffing into the center of each artichoke. With your fingers, press the rest of the stuffing between the larger outer leaves of the artichokes. Arrange the artichokes snugly in a deep 8-or 9- inch baking dish and pour in boiling water to a depth of 1 inch.
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9. Cover the dish tightly, with foil if necessary, and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1hour, or until the bases of the artichokes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
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10. Serve them hot or brush them with olive oil and serve cold with quartered lemons.
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