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.
Step 4
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 5
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.
Step 6
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 7
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 8
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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