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1. With a small sharp knife, trim the bases of the artichokes flush and flat. Bend and snap off the small bottom leaves and any bruised outer leaves. Lay each artichoke on its side and slice about 1 inch off the top. With scissors, trim ¼ inch off the points of the rest of the leaves. To prevent discoloring, rub all the cut edges with lemon as you proceed.
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2. In a 10- to 12-quart enameled pot, bring 5 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil over high heat. Drop in the artichokes and one lemon half and return the water to a boil. Cook briskly, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bases of the artichokes show no resistance when pierced with the point of a small sharp knife.
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3. With tongs, invert the artichokes in a colander to drain. Discard the lemon and all but about 1 inch of the cooking liquid. Set the pot aside.
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4. Meanwhile, shell the shrimp. Make a shallow incision down their backs with a small sharp knife and lift out the intestinal vein with the point of the knife. Wash the shrimp briefly in a colander set under cold running water. Then drop them into enough lightly salted boiling water to immerse the shrimp completely.
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5. Cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are pink and firm to the touch. Drain the shrimp and pat them dry with paper towels. Reserve four of the shrimp for garnish and chop the rest into fine bits. Set the shrimp aside.
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6. Melt ½ pound of the butter bits in a heavy 12-inch skillet set over moderate heat, stirring so that the butter melts without browning. When the foam begins to subside, add the bread crumbs and stir over moderate heat until the crumbs are crisp and golden. With a rubber spatula, scrape the contents of the skillet into a bowl and set it aside.
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7. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter bits over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onions and garlic, and stir for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent but not brown.
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8. Scrape the onion mixture over the bread crumbs, add the reserved shrimp, grated cheese, parsley and lemon peel, and toss the ingredients together gently but thoroughly with a spoon. Taste for seasoning.
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9. Divide the shrimp mixture into four equal portions and stuff each artichoke in the following fashion: Starting near the base, gently ease the top of one leaf away from the artichoke and spoon about a teaspoonful of the shrimp mixture into the opening. Push the shrimp mixture down between the leaf and the artichoke, then press the leaf back into place.
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10. Repeat until all of the large green outer leaves have been stuffed, then stand the artichoke upright on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
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11. Fold the foil tightly up and around the artichoke, and twist the ends securely together at the top. To keep the stuffing in place, tie a short length of kitchen cord around the widest part of the foil package. Set aside. Stuff and wrap the remaining artichokes in the same way.
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12. Stand the artichokes upright in the reserved pot and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly and steam the artichokes for 20 minutes. With tongs, transfer the artichokes to a cutting board and remove the strings and foil.
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13. Arrange the artichokes attractively on a heated platter or four individual serving plates, and place one of the reserved whole shrimp on top of each one. Serve the Creole vinaigrette sauce separately as an accompaniment to the inner leaves and bottom of the artichokes.
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