Braised Cardoon Food

BUTTER-BRAISED CARDOONS WITH MUSHROOMS AND BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it moderately. Strip the cardoons of leaves and string as you would celery. Cut each stalk lengthwise into 2 or 3 long strips, then crosswise into 2-inch lengths. You'll have about 3 cups. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water and boil the cardoons until fairly tender, 10 to 12 minutes; drain and rinse.
• Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet wide enough to accommodate the cardoons comfortably. When the foam subsides, add the cardoons, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until they take on a bit of color, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are mostly tender, 5 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and raise the heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread crumbs brown a bit and the cardoons are fully tender and sweet, 5 minutes longer.
• Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the top, taste for salt, add pepper to taste and serve hot or warm.

BRAISED CARDOON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 1-quart baking dish. Cut cardoon crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in prepared dish. Add the cardoon to the boiling broth, top with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake, alongside chicken, 20 minutes, until tender.

FRIED CARDOONS

Steps:

• Discard any discolored outer stalks and small leaves from cardoons. Trim base, tips, and outermost stalks, removing strings from stalks with a vegetable peeler (as for celery), then cut cardoons crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
• Soak cardoons in 2 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl, chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Drain cardoons. Transfer to a 6-quart pot, then generously cover with cold water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain on several layers of paper towels and cool 5 minutes.
• Heat about 1 1/2 inches oil to 360°F in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat.
• Whisk together flour and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk together eggs, water, and cheese in another shallow bowl.
• Toss one fifth of cardoons (all at once) with flour, shaking off excess, then transfer to egg mixture and turn with a fork to coat. Lift out coated cardoons 2 at a time, letting excess drip off, then carefully drop into hot oil. When all of batch has been added, fry, turning occasionally, until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to fresh paper towels to drain.
• Coat and fry remaining cardoons in 4 batches. (Return oil to 360°F between batches.) Season with salt.