Fried Cardoon Recipe (Fritto di Cardoni)

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves:

Description
This recipe for fried cardoons is from Artusi's Scienza in Cucina. Artusi doesn't say how many cardoons; I'd figure about a pound as a side dish to serve 4. Artusi also gives a good batter for frying vegetables.

Ingredients

 * 1 lb Cardoons
 * 1 cup flour
 * 1 tablespoon good olive oil
 * 1 tablespoon aquavit
 * 1 egg, separated
 * A pinch of salt
 * Cold water

Directions

 * 1) Begin by preparing a batter from the above ingredients:


 * 1) Stir the yolk and the other ingredients except the white into the flour, then add water bit at a time until you have a not too liquid batter.


 * 1) Stir well and let the batter rest for several hours.


 * 1) Before using it whip the white and fold it in. (This batter is especially well suited for frying fruits and vegetables.)


 * 1) Then perpare the cardoons: Peel the strings from the cardoons, boil them in salted water until just shy of being fork tender, cut them into pieces, and sauté them in butter, salting them again lightly.

They come in handy as an accompaniment to fried or stewed meat.
 * 1) Then flour them, dip them in the batter, and fry them in abundant oil.