Cardoon in almond sauce
Cardoon, the Christmas Eve dish of Navarre, Aragon and La Rioja, in a mellow sauce of almonds, garlic and stock. With jarred cardoon it is ready in half an hour; fresh cardoon must be trimmed and boiled until tender first. In Navarre diced serrano ham is often added, and it is also made with clams.
- 30 minTime
- 18 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 9 gprotein per portion
- 410kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 800 gJarred cardoon, drained
- 4 tbspOlive oil
- 3 clovesGarlic, sliced
- 60 gAlmonds, blanched
- 2 tbspPlain flour
- 500 mlVegetable stock, hot
- to tasteSalt
On the side
- 200 gBread
Method
- Drain the cardoon, rinse it in cold water and cut it into 4 cm pieces if they are longer.
- Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium-low heat and fry the garlic slices and almonds, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Blend the garlic and almonds with a few tablespoons of the stock to a smooth paste, with a stick blender or in a mortar.
- Stir the flour into the oil in the casserole and cook for 1 minute. Add the rest of the stock a little at a time, stirring so no lumps form.
- Stir in the almond paste and the cardoon and season with salt. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the cardoon is heated through.
- Serve the cardoon in its sauce with bread.
