Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until chives and seasoning is evenly incorporated. Butter can be made up to a week in advance. Cover and refrigerate if you are making ahead, then bring to room temperature before serving. If using immediately leave out at room temperature.

Cut off the top and bottom inch of each artichoke (this is sometimes easiest with a serrated knife). Snap off the tough outer leaves with the pointy, sharp tips, about 1/4 of the total leaves.

Fill a large pot with about 6 cups water. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water then add the lemon halves.

Add onion, wine, salt, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf and stir until salt is dissolved. Add artichokes and weigh them down with a plate.

Place over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to keep it from boiling too vigorously and cook until a knife easily goes through the bottom of the artichokes, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from the cooking liquid and serve hot with the butter.

To eat peel each leaf off the artichoke and spread with a little butter on the end that the leaf attached to the artichoke (the bottom of the leaf). Bite into the bottom scraping any meat and butter with your teeth. Discard the remaining leaf and get a new one. Once all the leaves are eaten you can scrape the pointy, hairy fibers out of the heart and throw them away then spread some butter on the heart and enjoy. You can eat the stem too!