Ingredients for 8 people:1,5 kg cardoons (1) 1 kg peeled tomatoes1 dried chilli pepper2 untreated lemons3 cloves of garlic5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus enough for frying) grated aged pecorino cheese salt200 g plain flour200 ml sparkling water2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil4 egg whites
Cut the bottom off the cardoons and separate all the stalks; eliminate any outer ones that are damaged and tough. Cut the little leaves (if there are any) off the stalks and, using a knife, peel downwards from top to bottom to remove the fibrous strings; cut the stalks in half. Fill a saucepan with plenty of salted water, squeeze the juice of the lemons into it and put the peel in as well (to avoid the cardoons turning brown). Bring the water to the boil and cook the cardoons: after about half an hour, prick them with a fork to see if they are tender. If they are ready, strain them, let them cool down, pat them dry with kitchen paper (the boiling oil will splatter if they are still wet when you fry them) and cut them into large pieces. Now prepare the batter by mixing the flour, sparkling water and olive oil together in a bowl with a whisk; lastly fold in the egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks. Heat plenty of olive oil in a deep pan. Dip the pieces of cardoon in the batter, let it drip off a little and then fry them in the hot oil. When they’re golden brown all over, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper to dry.
In a pan, sauté the 3 cloves of garlic “in camicia” (that’s to say with their skin on and slightly squashed under the palm of your hand) and the chilli pepper (without the seeds if you prefer it less spicy). When the garlic is golden brown, take it out of the pan (if you like you can also remove the chilli pepper) and tip in the peeled tomatoes. When they have softened, squash them with a spoon, season with salt, stir and leave to cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes. Now add the pieces of fried cardoon, cover them with the tomato sauce and leave to cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with 2-3 spoonfuls of freshly grated pecorino, put the lid on the pan immediately so that the cheese melts and serve while hot.
Some cooks prepare this dish by putting the fried cardoons in Tuscan meat ragu instead of the tomato sauce; it makes the dish a bit “heavier” but delicious all the same!
This is a traditional recipe from the areas of Arezzo, Florence, Siena. The Italian name for cardoons is “cardi”, but in Tuscany they are known as “gobbi” (= hunchbacks) due to their slightly curved shape.