Spire Rice

Preparation:

Preparation: Gently melt 50 g of butter in a saucepan and brown the onion, peeled and finely chopped, over moderate heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice, leave it to flavor for a few moments, stirring with a wooden spoon, finally add a couple of ladles of hot broth, the necessary salt, a grind of pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Cook the rice al dente, over moderate heat, adding the rest of the boiling broth a little at a time. At the end, add the grated Parmesan cheese, the rest of the butter (minus a piece) and the egg yolks to the rice, then transfer the mixture into a buttered mold with high sides and press it down well. Remove the tough outer leaves from the artichokes and cut them in half to remove the thorns, then wash them under running water and boil them in a saucepan with salted boiling water acidulated with lemon juice for 15 minutes. At this point, unmold the rice onto a heat-resistant serving dish and arrange the artichokes on the surface of the dome, placing them at a regular distance from each other. Spread the béchamel and the finely chopped cooked ham on the artichokes and brown them in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes.