Gratin de Cardons
Tender cardoons in a silky béchamel sauce, baked until golden and bubbling. A classic French vegetable gratin with Gruyère crust.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cardoons, trimmed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1 serving salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Trim cardoons: remove outer strings with a vegetable peeler, then cut into 2-inch pieces.
- 2
Bring a large pot of salted water with lemon juice to a boil.
- 3
Add cardoons and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, 20–25 minutes.
- 4
Drain cardoons well in a colander. Pat dry with paper towels.
- 5
Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming, ~1 minute.
- 6
Whisk in flour to form a paste. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and light brown, 1 minute.
- 7
Gradually whisk in milk, ensuring no lumps form. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 8
Remove from heat. Stir in 0.5 cup Gruyère, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until cheese melts.
- 9
Heat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
- 10
Spread drained cardoons in dish. Pour béchamel evenly over top.
- 11
Sprinkle remaining 0.25 cup Gruyère over sauce. Bake until top is golden and edges bubble, 12–15 minutes.
- 12
Let rest 3 minutes, then serve hot.
Tools you’ll need
- vegetable peeler
- large pot
- colander
- medium saucepan
- whisk
- 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- oven
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