Cardoon gratin with Parmigiano and egg

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Cardoons350 g
• Parmigiano Reggiano25 g
• Eggs2
• Butter8 g
• Whole wheat bread2
• Lemonto taste
• Nutmegto taste
• Saltto taste

Contains: gluten, lactose, eggs,

In season: November – February

Method

1. Put a large pan of water on to boil. Fill a bowl with cold water and the juice of half a lemon. Clean the cardoons: remove the leaves and the toughest outer stalks, then use a peeler to strip the strings from the back of each stalk; cut into pieces about 6 cm long and drop them straight into the acidulated water so they don't blacken.
2. When the water boils, salt it, add a few drops of lemon and cook the cardoons over medium heat for 30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.
3. For the last 10 minutes preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional) and grease a baking dish with half the butter.
4. Drain the cardoons well and arrange them in the dish. Crack the eggs over them, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a grating of nutmeg and a pinch of salt and dot with the remaining butter.
5. Bake at 200 °C for 10 minutes, until the whites are set, the yolks still soft and the cheese golden. Meanwhile toast the wholemeal bread and serve it alongside.