Prepare 1 large globe artichoke per 2 servings or 1 small artichoke per person. Remove all the outer, tough leaves (about ⅓ of the leaves, typically). Cut the top 1-inch off each artichoke with a very sharp and strong knife. Also, cut the stem, leaving at least 2 inches of stem still intact on the artichokes. Fill a large bowl with cold water and the juice of half a lemon (not listed in the ingredients), and place the prepared artichokes in the bowl to avoid browning. Please note the weight of the artichokes listed in the ingredients is the final yield after your remove the outer leaves and stem.
Pour at least 2-3 inches of oil into a large non-stick or cast-iron pan with tall edges. Heat the oil over high heat on the stove until it’s hot enough for frying. Look for air bubbles and light smoke releasing from the oil. When the oil is ready, remove the artichokes from the lemon water and pat dry with a paper towel. Hold the artichokes by the stem and press the leaves into a cutting board or clean surface to gently spread them open. Fully open the artichokes like a flower with your fingers and sprinkle the salt and pepper into the artichokes.
Still holding the stem, place the artichokes open-faced and upside down in the hot oil. Immediately place a lid over the frying pan to trap the heat in the pan while the artichokes fry. Adjust the heat as necessary to avoid burning. After 4-5 minutes, remove the lid from the pan and spoon the hot oil over the tops of the artichokes and stems continually for 2-3 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to pull the finished fried artichokes out of the oil onto a clean surface to drain and cool. You can set the artichokes on a paper towel to help with draining the oil.
While the artichokes are cooling, you will make the egg drop noodles. Fill a wide pot with water (at least 6 inches) and bring the water to a boil. As the water is heating, make the scratch egg drop noodles. Combine the paleo flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mix an egg into the flour until you have a shaggy dough.
One tablespoon at a time, stir cold water into the dough. You may not need to use all the water to complete the dough, or you may need to use a little more. To test if the dough is the right consistency, lift the fork and look for a slow, natural sagging in the dough until it falls off the fork. If it’s falling off in large clumps, or not falling off at all, add more water to the dough. If the dough doesn’t stick to the fork at all and looks like a liquid, the dough is too thin.
When the water is at a rolling boil, place a spaetzle maker over the pot. This can be a rectangular tray with holes and a sliding tool to pull the dough or a wide, circular plate with holes to press the dough through. Place about 1 cup of dough into the spaetzle maker and slide/press the noodles into the boiling water. The noodles will rise almost immediately.
Let the noodles cook in the boiling water for just about 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a serving bowl, leaving behind any excess liquid. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 until all the noodles are cooked. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over the noodles. Stir the noodles until they’re lubricated with the butter and serve by weight with the artichokes.