AI-generated image
Gratin de cardons
Cardoon gratin
Lyon's Christmas cardoon gratin (gratin de cardons)
Cardoons, the tall silvery cousin of the artichoke, are a Christmas vegetable in Lyon and the Dauphiné; market stalls on the Quai Saint-Antoine sell them in December, and the gratin goes on the table at the réveillon dinner. The stalks taste gently of artichoke and celery and turn meltingly soft under a nutmeg béchamel. Lyon cooks often add bone marrow; this version leaves it out and uses vegetable stock in the sauce. Gruyère is usually made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian alternative if needed. If you cannot find cardoons, celery hearts work, though they cook faster. Chef's tip: drop each peeled stalk straight into lemon water; cardoons blacken within minutes in the air.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the cardoons
- 3 ⅓ lb cardoonsabout 1 head
- 1 lemonhalved
- 2 tbsp plain flourfor the cooking water
- 2 tsp salt
For the sauce
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ cups whole milkwarm
- ¾ cup vegetable stockwarm
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 ½ oz Gruyèregrated, or a vegetarian alternative
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in 1 lemon, dropping the halves in too.
Step 2: Discard the tough outer stalks and leaves of 3 ⅓ lb cardoons. Use a vegetable peeler to strip the stringy ribs off each stalk, cut into 6 cm lengths and drop straight into the lemon water.
20 minStep 3: Whisk 2 tbsp plain flour into 3 litres of cold water in a large pan with 2 tsp salt, bring to the boil and add the drained cardoons. Simmer for 35–45 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance. The flour keeps them pale.
45 minStep 4: Meanwhile, melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a pan, stir in 1 ⅜ oz plain flour and cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat without colouring. Gradually whisk in 1 ¾ cups whole milk and ¾ cup vegetable stock and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp white pepper and salt.
8 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Drain the cardoons very well and pat dry. Common mistake: putting them in the dish still wet, which waters down the sauce into a thin puddle.
Step 6: Spread the cardoons in a buttered gratin dish, pour over the sauce and scatter with 2 ½ oz Gruyère.
Step 7: Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. You can assemble it a day ahead and bake from cold for 35 minutes.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gratin de cardons take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sandwich grecKebab baguette
In Paris, a "grec" is the late-night kebab sandwich named after the Greek-run shops that first sold it in the Latin Quarter. On rue de la Huchette and rue Saint-André-des-Arts near Saint-Michel, students queue after a night out for crusty bread or pitta stuffed with meat shaved from a turning spit, lettuce, tomato and onion, a garlicky white sauce, and, the Paris touch, a handful of fries pushed right inside. This home version marinates chicken thighs in spiced yoghurt, sears them hard and slices them thin, with oven fries. It contains milk, egg (in the mayonnaise) and wheat. Chef's tip: slice the meat thinly across the grain after resting; thick chunks don't feel like a grec.
TacachoMashed roasted green plantain balls
Tacacho is the breakfast of the Peruvian Amazon, from Tarapoto to Iquitos: green plantains roasted over coals, mashed with fat and salt and shaped into balls. There it comes with cecina (smoked pork) and is mashed with lard and crackling; this vegan tacacho uses good oil and a pinch of smoked paprika for the same savoury, smoky depth. The balls are dense, chewy and starchy, crisp at the edges where the plantain charred, and they are eaten hot with a fiery chilli sauce or alongside stews. Use plantains that are fully green and firm. Chef's tip: mash the plantains while they are still very hot; as green plantain cools its starch sets and it won't bind into a smooth ball.
Peruvian
Baked cream potatoes
Thin potato slices and onion baked in fresh cream with plenty of garlic and coarse black pepper until tender and browned at the edges. Serve as a side dish with pizza or pasta, or as a snack with chilli and tomato sauce.