Puntarelle alla Romana (winter chicory salad with anchovy and garlic) -Lazio
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
In the winter, puntarelle (a type of endive typical in and around Rome) begin to pop up in the markets. The long, young, crisp leaves and shoots are dressed with a garlicky anchovy sauce and are the perfect accompaniment to a plate of salumi. The slightly bitter, crunchy leaves contrast well with fatty, silky soft prosciutto and salami.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: Contorno (Side dish)
Cuisine: Lazio
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 750 grams puntarelle chicory,washed and dried
- ½ garlic clove, small, peeled
- 1 anchovy fillet
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 75 mls extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Place the garlic and anchovy in the mortar.
- Grind it with the pestle. When it has formed a paste, add the lemon juice to mix.
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Cut the leaves from the puntarelle and begin to slice off the tender stalks from the puntarelle.
- Cut into matchsticks either with a knife or using a puntarelle cutter. Discard the hard woody part of the puntarelle. Add the puntarelle to the ice water to leech the bitterness out. Add the puntarelle to the ice water and soak until it curls up, about 1 hour. For an illustrated step-by-step guide, see here.
- When the puntarelle are ready, strain in a colander, and spin them dry in a salad spinner or dry with tea towels. Place the puntarelle in a salad bowl.
- Grind the garlic mixture again to emulsify and then pour in the olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the puntarelle and toss to evenly coat the puntarelle and serve.
