Baked Cardoons With Breadcrumbs

Blanch and boil a sufficient number of cardoons; place them on a dish well buttered and sprinkled with grated bread, cover them with breadcrumbs, pour over sufficient warm butter to moisten, and brown the surface either with a salamander or in the oven. When done, take out the cardoons, and serve. A little grated cheese may also be sprinkled over with the breadcrumbs.

Cardoons, Spanish Style

Secure some very white heads of cardoons, cut each leaf into slices six inches in length (with the exception of the hollow ones which are tough and thready), and remove all the prickles. Place the thickest leaves in a saucepan of boiling water, and boil them for a few minutes, then put in the leaves of the heart, turn the middle stalks into olive shapes, put them into the boiling water, and blanch them also; try a piece in cold water to see whether the slime which is on the surface will come off by rubbing; if so, take them off the fire immediately, refresh them in cold water, wash and rub this all off. Prepare a sauce as follows: Cut about half a pound of fat bacon, and a small piece of beef suet into large squares; put these into a saucepan with two ounces of butter, half a lemon cut into thin slices, a small lump of salt, and as much water as may be necessary to cover the cardoons when they are added. Stew this for half an hour, then throw in the cardoons and boil them up once, and leave in. When ready to use the cardoons, trim them at both ends, put them in a stewpan with one teacupful each of Spanish sauce and broth, and a small quantity of both sugar and salt; then boil over a sharp fire so as not to cook them too much, keeping the fat well skimmed off. When cooked arrange the cardoons on a hot dish, strain the sauce over them, and serve without delay.

Cardoons With Beef Marrow

Take some cardoons prepared as in cardoons for garnish, arrange them in a silver saucepan, and pour over a little Spanish sauce. Blanch some beef marrow by placing it in boiling water, take it out, drain, and spread on pieces of toast cut about a quarter of an inch thick, two inches long and an inch wide; sprinkle these over with salt, glaze, and put them in a hot oven for four or five minutes. Arrange the cardoons on a dish, place the pieces of toast on top, and serve.

Cardoons With Cheese

Take the outside leaves from five cardoons, string the white parts, and cut into small pieces; put in a saucepan with one pint of port wine, cook on a slow fire until tender. Season to taste, and add one ounce of butter rolled in flour. Put the whole in a dish, squeeze over the juice of an orange, and sprinkle over four ounces of grated cheese. Brown the surface with a salamander, or in the oven. Serve as hot as possible.

Cardoons With Veloute Sauce

Cut the leaves of the cardoons into slices, with the exception of the tough hollow ones, and remove all the prickles. Place the thickest leaves in a saucepan of boiling water, boil them for a few minutes, and then put in the leaves of the heart; trim the middle stocks into large olives, and after blanching them put them in also. Rub a piece of the cardoons in cold water in order to determine whether the slime will come off easily, and if so, throw in the lot and rub them well. When quite clean, put the cardoons in white sauce, and boil them. Then remove the cardoons, put them in a stewpan with some stockbroth, and boil them quickly. When cooked, put them on a hot dish, drain them, pour over some hot veloute sauce, and serve. If preferred, French melted butter can be used in place of the sauce veloute.