Cardoons may look threatening, rather like killer celery, but they're quite delicate and work very well in this sformato.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450 g) cardoons, ends trimmed, stripped of fibers, and cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk
- 3 eggs
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano
Preparation:
Boil the cardoons until they're half cooked in lightly salted water, drain them, and sauté them in half the butter. Salt them, and when they have absorbed the butter, sprinkle some of the milk over them and simmer them until done. You can leave the pieces as they are or blend them.
Using the remaining butter, milk, and a level tablespoon of flour, make a béchamel sauce. Beat the eggs, mix all the ingredients together and check seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a buttered smooth sided mold (it should fill the mold to a depth of about 2 inches). Bake the sformato in a 325 degree F (150 C) oven for 25-30 minutes or until done, or heat it over a double boiler until it sets.
Serve hot, to 6, accompanied by a tossed salad and a white wine, for example a Vernaccia di San Gimignano or a Vermentino.
Using the remaining butter, milk, and a level tablespoon of flour, make a béchamel sauce. Beat the eggs, mix all the ingredients together and check seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a buttered smooth sided mold (it should fill the mold to a depth of about 2 inches). Bake the sformato in a 325 degree F (150 C) oven for 25-30 minutes or until done, or heat it over a double boiler until it sets.
Serve hot, to 6, accompanied by a tossed salad and a white wine, for example a Vernaccia di San Gimignano or a Vermentino.
