Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).

To trim artichokes, cut off the stem and top inch of the artichoke leaves. Peel off small leaves on or near stem end.

Use kitchen scissors to snip off pointy tops of outer leaves.

Cut artichokes in half. Use a spoon or melon baller to scrape out the hairy choke, including the purple topped pointy leaves inside. Squeeze lemon juice from one half of the lemon over the the artichoke insides to prevent browning.

Drizzle bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then place the artichoke halves cut-side up in the dish.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves into each artichoke cavity.

Chop butter into 4 pieces and put one in each cavity.

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of herbes de provence over the 4 halves. Season halves with salt and pepper.

Carefully flip each artichoke half, tucking the garlic and butter inside. Drizzle outside of the artichokes with remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan tightly with foil.

Roast for 30 min, then remove foil and roast for an additional 20 min.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Flip artichoke halves over using tongs, and remove garlic cloves.

Chop garlic cloves on a small cutting board.

Put mayonnaise in a small bowl, and stir in the chopped garlic cloves. Stir in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice from the remaining lemon half, then season with salt and pepper.

To eat artichokes, peel off outside leaves and dip the very bottom of each leaf into the garlic mayo. Use your teeth to scrape off the bottom flesh of the leaf.

As you make your way to the inside of the artichoke, leaves become more and more tender, and you’ll be able to eat the bottom parts of the leaves.

When you have peeled off all of the leaves, you’re left with the heart of the artichoke (the best part!). Just cut it into pieces and dip into the garlic mayo.