Artichokes Braised in a Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Squeeze the juice from the quarters of 1 lemon into a large bowl of cold water. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the tough outer leaves to expose the yellow core. Peel the stem end, keeping about 1 inch of the stem intact. Trim 1 inch off the top of the artichoke and cut in half lengthwise through the center. Scoop out the furry choke. Add the cleaned artichoke to the lemon water and repeat with the remaining artichokes. Just before cooking, drain the artichokes well and pat dry with paper towels.

In a stovetop pressure cooker over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until nearly smoking. Season the artichokes with salt and pepper and carefully place them, cut sides down, in the cooker, making sure they lie flat and working in batches if needed. Cook until they are evenly browned underneath, 3 to 5 minutes.

Return all the artichokes, cut sides up, to the cooker and add the garlic, thyme and the remaining lemon quarters. Cover and cook for 12 minutes, shaking the cooker occasionally. Release the pressure according to the manufacturers instructions. Transfer the artichokes to a serving bowl or platter. Squeeze the juice from the cooked lemon quarters over the artichokes.