Traditional Cardoon ..
In Navarre, The Basque Country, on the French border of The Iberian Peninsula and Aragon, 3 hours north east of Madrid, is the land of the wild cardoon stalks. A member of the Thistle family and a close cousin to the artichoke, a huge celery looking stalk type vegetable, with a tough outer layer of threads to peel, has a delectable interior ..
This vegetable has a very short growing season in Navarra, and Aragon, from late late November to the end of February and the wild range from 36 height in length to 50 inches in height ..
It can be frozen for later usage as well once prepared ..
Traditional Navarre Cardoon Soup ..
For a Neo traditional touch, I sautéed baby squid and drained thoroughly and added to soup at the very end .. For carnivores, one can add Iberian Ham or Pancetta ..
Recipe for 4 :
1 Kilo of Cardoons ( peel the stalks after you boil for 15 minutes in salted wáter and dunk in ice wáter until cool so you can peel from the top to bottom ) .. You can buy jars of Cardoons as well however, they shall not taste the same .. )
1 or 2 Lemons
Vegetable broth ( for simmering the cardoons sliced in 5 Centimetre pieces - as in photo )
Evoo
salt
parsley fresh minced ( a handful )
almonds ( toast them and then put in a mortar and pestle or food processor with garlic cloves
1 large potato or 2 small potatoes ( you can use cream if you wish to thicken the soup)
Smoked Spanish Paprika Pimentón - to sprinkle
1) clean the cardoons and remove the thick threads from the exterior layer of the stalks ..
2) Chop the stalks into 5 centimetre chunks ..
3) In a stock pot, put some wáter and salt ..
4) Boil the water and the vegetable broth and simmer médium to high flame ..
5) Now, put the cardoon chunks into the water and simmer on a low slow flame until tender ( 30 mins to 45 minutes ) and squeeze the juice of the 2 lemons into the cold wáter ..
6) In Evoo, sauté toasted almonds until the almonds are tender and quickly add 2 cloves of garlic minced and sauté stirring until gden ..
7) Slice the potatoes and boil in a separate pot of boiling salted wáter
8) When the cardoon and the potato are tender, drain the potatoes thoroughly and combine with a standup mixer or food processor the cardoon and the potatoes
9 ) Now add the salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper, parsley and the toasted almonds drained of all Evoo and the garlic and stir to combine ..
10 ) Serve with extra almond garnish .. And sprinkle with Pimentón ( Smoked Paprika )
Crusty rustic bread and a bottle of Navarre Rosé Julien Chivite ..
In Navarre, The Basque Country, on the French border of The Iberian Peninsula and Aragon, 3 hours north east of Madrid, is the land of the wild cardoon stalks. A member of the Thistle family and a close cousin to the artichoke, a huge celery looking stalk type vegetable, with a tough outer layer of threads to peel, has a delectable interior ..
This vegetable has a very short growing season in Navarra, and Aragon, from late late November to the end of February and the wild range from 36 height in length to 50 inches in height ..
It can be frozen for later usage as well once prepared ..
Traditional Navarre Cardoon Soup ..
For a Neo traditional touch, I sautéed baby squid and drained thoroughly and added to soup at the very end .. For carnivores, one can add Iberian Ham or Pancetta ..
Recipe for 4 :
1 Kilo of Cardoons ( peel the stalks after you boil for 15 minutes in salted wáter and dunk in ice wáter until cool so you can peel from the top to bottom ) .. You can buy jars of Cardoons as well however, they shall not taste the same .. )
1 or 2 Lemons
Vegetable broth ( for simmering the cardoons sliced in 5 Centimetre pieces - as in photo )
Evoo
salt
parsley fresh minced ( a handful )
almonds ( toast them and then put in a mortar and pestle or food processor with garlic cloves
1 large potato or 2 small potatoes ( you can use cream if you wish to thicken the soup)
Smoked Spanish Paprika Pimentón - to sprinkle
1) clean the cardoons and remove the thick threads from the exterior layer of the stalks ..
2) Chop the stalks into 5 centimetre chunks ..
3) In a stock pot, put some wáter and salt ..
4) Boil the water and the vegetable broth and simmer médium to high flame ..
5) Now, put the cardoon chunks into the water and simmer on a low slow flame until tender ( 30 mins to 45 minutes ) and squeeze the juice of the 2 lemons into the cold wáter ..
6) In Evoo, sauté toasted almonds until the almonds are tender and quickly add 2 cloves of garlic minced and sauté stirring until gden ..
7) Slice the potatoes and boil in a separate pot of boiling salted wáter
8) When the cardoon and the potato are tender, drain the potatoes thoroughly and combine with a standup mixer or food processor the cardoon and the potatoes
9 ) Now add the salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper, parsley and the toasted almonds drained of all Evoo and the garlic and stir to combine ..
10 ) Serve with extra almond garnish .. And sprinkle with Pimentón ( Smoked Paprika )
Crusty rustic bread and a bottle of Navarre Rosé Julien Chivite ..
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