Cardoons (Cardons)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart (3.8 L) nonreactive saucepan with lid
• •Large nonreactive bowl, at least 4 quarts (3.8 L)
• •Sharp paring knife or sturdy vegetable peeler
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Parchment paper for a cartouche

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the acid bath

   Pour the cold water into a large nonreactive bowl and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Keep the halved second lemon beside your cutting board. Do this before trimming anything, because once a cardon is peeled the clock has already begun.

2. 2

   Trim and peel cardons

   Discard the tough green outer leaf-stalks and detach the pale inner stalks one by one. Cut them into 3-inch (7.5 cm) lengths, then use a paring knife or sturdy peeler to pull away the fibrous strings from the ridges, edges, and hollow inner face. Rub every peeled surface with the cut lemon and drop each piece immediately into the acidulated water. Trim the heart, remove every coarse or woody part, cut it into similar lengths, and treat it the same way. If a piece greys before reaching the bowl, shave away the thinnest surface layer, rub it with lemon, and submerge it. Ça se rattrape. Acid prevents further darkening, but it will not bleach a blackened patch.

   Pull each string along the length of the stalk instead of shaving deeply into the flesh. Good peeling removes the cords while keeping as much of the tender rib as possible.
3. 3

   Bring Blanc to boil

   Pour the prepared Special Court-bouillon, or Blanc (No. 167) into a 4-quart (3.8 L) nonreactive saucepan. Bring it to a full boil while whisking steadily so its flour remains suspended. If flour has settled or formed small lumps during storage, whisk firmly and pass the liquid through a fine sieve before the cardons enter. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Seal away the air

   Lift the cardons from their acidulated water without rinsing and lower them, one by one, into the boiling Special Court-bouillon, or Blanc (No. 167). Press them beneath the liquid, then scatter the finely chopped veal fat evenly across the entire surface. Lay a cartouche directly over the fat and liquid, pressing it to the edges of the pan, and cover with the lid. No stalk should sit exposed above the protective layer; air is what turns a cardon black.

5. 5

   Simmer to tenderness

   As soon as the liquid returns to the boil, lower the heat until it barely trembles. Cook gently for about 1 hour 30 minutes, checking after 1 hour 15 minutes and replacing the cartouche at once. The cardons are ready when a paring knife enters the thickest rib with little resistance and no stringy pull. If the pot boils hard, lift it off the heat until calm and return it over a lower flame; rough boiling breaks the tender pieces, but the cooking can continue.

6. 6

   Drain and serve

   Lift away the cartouche and skim off the protective veal fat. Transfer the cardons carefully to a warmed serving dish with a slotted spoon, letting each piece drain briefly without leaving it to dry. Taste one while warm: it should be tender, lightly seasoned, and gently sharpened by lemon. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a heavy head with crisp, pale inner ribs and no hollow, cottony patches. Deep green outer stalks are expected and will be discarded, but limp inner stalks will remain fibrous however patiently you cook them.
• •Ask a butcher for fresh veal fat trimmings, not rendered tallow. Chill the fat until firm before chopping it finely; small pieces spread into an even protective blanket as they soften.
• •Cardoon resembles celery but does not cook like it, and celery is not an honest substitute here. This preparation belongs to fresh winter cardons, whose bitterness and cords are precisely what the peeling and long Blanc cooking correct.
• •This entry deliberately stops with the cardons cooked au blanc. Marrow in Lyon and anchovy in Provence belong to separate regional finishes; adding either here would turn the book's foundational preparation into another dish.

Advance Preparation

• •The Special Court-bouillon, or Blanc (No. 167) can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and chilled. Whisk it as it returns to the boil so the flour is fully suspended before adding the cardons.
• •Cooked cardons can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days while completely submerged in their Special Court-bouillon, or Blanc (No. 167), with the cartouche pressed against the surface. Reheat them at the barest simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain and serve.
• •Do not peel raw cardons the night before. Even acidulated water cannot preserve their best texture indefinitely; cooking them fully in advance gives a much better result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)