French cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Cardoon Gratin

Lyonnaise Christmas gratin: cardoons cooked long until pale, then baked under béchamel with comté.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1.5 kg cardoons (or celery stalks with 2 artichoke hearts)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 lemons
• 50 g butter
• 50 g flour
• 600 ml whole milk
• 150 g comté (or gruyère)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Strip the cardoons of leaves and tough strings, cut into 6 cm long pieces and put immediately into water with the juice of one lemon, so they don't turn black.
2. Whisk plenty of water with the 2 tbsp flour, the juice of the second lemon and salt, bring to a boil and cook the pieces in it for 40–50 min. until soft enough to pierce easily; drain well.
3. For the béchamel, melt the butter, stir in the 50 g flour and sweat lightly for 2 min., then gradually pour in the milk while stirring.
4. Simmer the sauce for 6–8 min. until it thickly coats the ladle, stir in the finely grated garlic and two-thirds of the comté and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Layer the cardoons in a buttered dish, pour the sauce over, shake gently so it runs into all the gaps, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 200°C for 25–30 min., until the crust is deep golden brown and the sauce bubbles at the edge, then let rest for 5 min. and serve as a festive side dish.