CookEat Recipe
Cardoon Sformato
Small tender cardoon pieces cooked in butter and milk, bound with eggs, Parmesan and white sauce, then gently set and served hot.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 350 g cardoon stalks, weighed after removing leaves, tough strings and damaged outer parts; 300 ml milk: about 100 ml for the cardoons and 200 ml for the sauce; 3 eggs; 65 g butter: 30 g for the cardoons, 30 g for the sauce and 5 g for the mould; 30 g grated Parmesan; 1 scant tablespoon plain flour, about 8 g; Salt; Water for boiling and the water bath.
Step 2
Trim the cardoon stalks thoroughly, stripping off tough strings with a vegetable peeler or small knife. Wash and cut into small pieces about 2 cm long. Boil in water for about 20–30 minutes until partly tender, allowing longer for tough stalks. Drain well.
Step 3
Melt 30 g butter in a saucepan, add the cardoon pieces and salt, and cook gently until they take up the butter. Add about 100 ml milk and simmer gently for about 15–25 minutes, or until fully tender, adding a small splash of hot water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning now, before any raw egg is added.
Step 4
Make the white sauce with the separate 30 g butter, scant tablespoon flour and remaining 200 ml milk. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until smooth. Cool both the cardoons and sauce briefly until no longer hot. Mix with the three beaten eggs and Parmesan, leaving the cardoons in small pieces.
Step 5
Heat the oven to 160°C. Butter a smooth mould of about 1¼ litres with the remaining 5 g butter and line its base with buttered baking paper. Fill with the cardoon mixture, set in a roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the sides. Bake for about 45–60 minutes until set and at least 74°C in the centre. Rest for 5 minutes, turn out carefully, remove the paper and serve hot.
Step 6
For a smoother texture, press the fully cooked cardoons through a sieve before combining with the sauce, eggs and Parmesan. Use the same mould and cooking method.
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