In Sicilian dialect they are called "carduna" and are never missing from the table. Cardoons in batter is a dish of poor origins, but of great taste, appreciated even by children.
Positively Sicilian battered cardoons
Known and appreciated throughout Italy, thistles can be prepared in many ways: boiled, baked, used as a filling for savory pies. And there is no family that doesn’t prepare them at least once using the simple rules of the traditional recipe. The only trick is to buy a fresh product.
Fried Battered Cardoons Recipe
For the batter: 2lb flour, 1 oz brewer's yeast, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 tsp salt, 3 cups of water
For the cardoons: 3 lb cardoons, 4 tbsp flour, salt, ½ lemon
Method
Knead the flour, the yeast, dissolved in a little warm water, and sugar. When the dough is properly amalgamated, add the salt and continue to work it until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous, very soft. Leave it to rise in a warm place for about two hours. In the meantime, clean the cardoons, removing the filaments and put them to cook in a pot of boiling water, adding a pinch of flour and lemon juice. These two ingredients avoid the cardoons blackening and, the flour in particular will partially eliminate their bitter taste. The cooking time depends very much on the tenderness of the cardoons. Once they’re cooked, drain them, dry them then dip them in the leavened batter and fry them in plenty of hot oil until golden brown. They will be ready in a few minutes. To be served preferably in a hot, crispy batter.