The Bitter Leaf

Category: Recipes

Tested at home, usually twice.

  • Puntarelle alla Romana

    Puntarelle season has started in Rome, and if you can find them north of the Alps, buy them immediately.

    Pull the shoots off the head, slice each one lengthwise into thin strips and drop them in iced water for an hour until they curl up like ribbons.

    For the dressing, pound 4 anchovy fillets and a small garlic clove into a paste, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons of good olive oil. Drain the puntarelle, dry them well and toss with the dressing just before serving.

  • Risotto al Radicchio di Treviso

    The first tardivo of the season arrives in late autumn and I always make this the same week.

    1. Sweat a finely chopped shallot in butter, add 320 g Carnaroli rice and toast for a minute.
    2. Deglaze with a glass of red wine (yes, red — it suits the colour).
    3. Add hot stock a ladle at a time for about 16 minutes.
    4. Halfway through, stir in 250 g shredded radicchio; keep a handful raw for the end.
    5. Off the heat, beat in cold butter and Grana Padano. Rest for two minutes, fold in the raw radicchio and serve.

    A few drops of aged balsamic on top are optional but recommended.

  • Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic, Honey and Walnuts

    Ten minutes, five ingredients, and it converts radicchio sceptics every single time.

    1. Quarter two heads of Treviso radicchio lengthwise, keeping the core so the wedges hold together.
    2. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and grill on a very hot pan for 2 minutes per side until charred at the edges and just wilted.
    3. Warm 2 tablespoons of balsamic with 1 tablespoon of honey until syrupy.
    4. Drizzle over the radicchio, scatter toasted walnuts and shavings of Parmesan.

    The heat mellows the bitterness and the honey does the rest. Excellent next to grilled sausages.

  • Chicons au Gratin (Endive, Ham and Cheese Bake)

    The dish of my childhood. My grandmother made it every Sunday from November to March, and the kitchen windows always fogged up.

    Ingredients (serves 4)

    • 8 Belgian endives
    • 8 thin slices of cooked ham
    • 40 g butter, 40 g flour, 500 ml milk
    • 150 g grated Gruyère (or young Gouda)
    • Nutmeg, salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar

    Method

    1. Cut a small cone out of the base of each endive — that is where most of the bitterness hides.
    2. Braise the endives in a covered pan with a knob of butter, the sugar and a splash of water for 20 minutes. Drain them well and squeeze gently; watery endives ruin the sauce.
    3. Make a béchamel, season with nutmeg and stir in two thirds of the cheese.
    4. Wrap each endive in ham, lay them in a buttered dish, pour over the sauce and scatter the remaining cheese.
    5. Bake at 200 °C for 25 minutes until bubbling and brown.

    Serve with mashed potatoes. Nothing else is required, though a cold Belgian beer does not hurt.