Cardoon Soufflé

Cardoon Soufflé Serves 6 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: • 450 g (1lb) cardoons, ends trimmed, stripped of fibres, and cut into pieces • 300 (10 fl oz) ml milk • 3 eggs • 5 tablespoons butter • 1 tablespoon plain flour • 85g (3oz) grated Paramesan Cheese Preparation: Boil the cardoons in lightly salted water until half cooked, drain, and sauté in half the butter. Salt and when they have absorbed the butter, add 2 tablespoons of milk and simmer until done. You can leave the pieces as they are or blend them together. Using the remaining butter, milk, and a level tbsp of flour, make a béchamel sauce. Beat the eggs, mix all the ingredients together and check seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a buttered smooth sided dish (it should fill the dish to a depth of about 2 inches). Bake in a 150C oven (gas mark 2) for 25-30 minutes or until done, or alternatively heat it over a double boiler until it sets. Serve hot, accompanied by a tossed salad and a white wine.