Give someone something unexpectedly bitter to eat and chances are they’ll screw up their nose and stick out their tongue. I’ve seen my son do this many times, and can never quite stop myself laughing, rather than offering the expected, yet less genuine, expression of empathy. It’s a reaction that humans and animals alike were conditioned to have to protect them in the wild: if something is bitter, it might be poisonous, so is best avoided.
Well, we humans – at least those of the adult variety – went our separate way from the animals when we realised that lots of bitter foods are both tasty and very good for us. It’s the bitter compounds in the likes of brussels sprouts, broccoli and white grapefruit that provide the vital nutrients. It’s sad, then, that bitterness is gradually being bred out of many foods in response to consumers’ perceived desire for all things sweet. Bitter white grapefruit, for example, has all but vanished from our shelves, in favour of sweet pink and red varieties.
That said, as much of our food becomes sweeter, proper beer, chocolate and coffee are becoming ever more popular, particularly the hardcore, artisanal kinds. But, great though that trio may be, my preferred source of bitterness at this time of the year is the humble chicory and its many relatives: that uncompromising yet versatile bitterness is just the kind I love to cook with.
Veal stew with puntarelle, celeriac and capers
Puntarelle features in both the stew and the salad to go alongside. It’s an Italian winter vegetable, and isn’t that easy to find, so if you can’t get any, use white chicory instead (in which case you won’t need to blanch the leaves for the stew). Serves four.
800g veal shoulder, cut into 4cm dice
1 tbsp plain flour
Salt and black pepper
30g unsalted butter
60ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
200ml dry white wine
8 large sage leaves
Shaved skin of 1 lemon, plus 3 tbsp lemon juice
1 550g head puntarelle (or 2 heads white chicory, cut widthways into 3cm-long segments)
1 small celeriac, peeled and chopped into 2cm dice (500g net weight)
200g pancetta, cut into 1cm dice
20g capers
For the salad
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped
2 tsp red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white chicory, cut in half lengthways and then into long, 0.5cm thick wedges (or the rest of the puntarelle, if using)
80g rocket
Toss the veal in flour seasoned with a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, until evenly coated, then tap off any excess.
On a high flame, heat the butter and two tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron pot or casserole for which you have a lid. Add the veal and sear, stirring frequently, for four minutes, until browned. Add the onion, cook for three minutes, stirring, until softened, then add the wine, sage, lemon peel, lemon juice and 150ml water. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour and a half, until the veal is tender.
While the veal is cooking, prepare the puntarelle. Trim the base and cut off and discard the top third of the leaves (these are very bitter). Pull the long leafy branches off the solid centre – you should end up with about 240g of these branches – rinse in cold water, then cut into 3cm-long pieces. Blanch in salted boiling water for a minute, drain and refresh.
The centre of the puntarelle is a much lighter green, with clusters of shorter stalks attached to a hollow stem. Pull off these clusters, discard the stem and cut each cluster (you should have about 100g) into long, thin, 0.5cm-wide strips. Put these in a large bowl filled with iced water and refrigerate for an hour: the cold water will make them curl a little.
Once the puntarelle is ready, heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a high flame, then fry the celeriac for six to eight minutes, stirring a few times, until browned. Add the pancetta and cook for three minutes, until crisp. Once the veal is tender, add the celeriac and pancetta to the pot, together with the capers and blanched puntarelle (if you are using chicory instead, add the raw leaves now), and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the celeriac is soft.
To make the salad dressing, put the garlic, anchovy and vinegar in a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking all the while, until you have a smooth emulsion. Just before serving, drain and dry the chopped puntarelle stalks, then mix them (or the chicory wedges) with the rocket, pour on the dressing and toss again to coat.
Serve the stew in bowls or on plates, with the salad alongside.
Caramelised chicory with sage and parmesan crumble
This works as both a standalone starter and as a side dish to serve with chicken, pork or veal. Serves six, either way.
6 heads white chicory, cut in half lengthways, ends trimmed by 1mm, if need be
1½ tbsp caster sugar
Salt and black pepper
75g unsalted butter
3 tbsp dry white wine
150ml vegetable stock
60ml double cream
30g parmesan, finely grated
60g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled into 1cm pieces
5 medium sage leaves, shredded
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
50g panko crumbs
Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Mix the chicory in a large bowl with the sugar, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and set aside.
On a high heat, melt a third of the butter in a large frying pan. Lay in half the chicory cut side down, and sear for two to three minutes, until dark caramel in colour. Remove from the pan, melt another 25g butter and repeat with the remaining chicory. After the second batch has been cooking for two minutes, return the first batch to the pan and arrange all the chicory halves cut side up. Pour in the wine and stock, and boil rapidly for five minutes, without stirring, until the chicories are cooked through and there are only two or three tablespoons of liquid left in the pan. If you have more than this, lift out the chicory and cook down the liquid for a few minutes more. Transfer the chicory cut side up to a 20cm x 30cm baking dish, and off the heat stir the cream into the braising liquid.
Put the parmesan, goat’s cheese, sage, zest, panko and remaining 25g butter in a bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and some pepper, then rub to a rough, soft crumble.
Drizzle the sauce over the chicory, sprinkle some crumble mix on top of each chicory half and bake for 15 minutes, until the crumble is golden-brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
Radicchio bruschetta with taleggio and truffle honey
This is a gorgeous starter or snack. If you can’t get taleggio, mature brie works well, too. Serves four.
1 tbsp honey
⅛ tsp truffle oil
1 radicchio, trimmed and cut lengthways into quarters
1½ tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
4 1.5cm-thick slices sourdough
100g taleggio (or mature brie), torn into 1cm pieces
40g parmesan, finely grated
2 tsp picked thyme leaves
Put the honey and truffle oil in a small saucepan, warm through gently, just to combine, then take off the heat and set aside.
Heat the grill to its highest setting. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, blanch the radicchio for 30 seconds, drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again and pat as dry as possible, then mix with the olive oil, an eighth of a teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper.
Put the radicchio quarters on a 30cm x 40cm baking tray lined with baking paper, and lay the sourdough slices alongside. Grill in the middle of the oven for two minutes, until the bread and radicchio are golden-brown, then sprinkle a third of the taleggio and parmesan and half the thyme over the bread. Put a radicchio wedge on top of each slice of toast, dot the remaining cheese and thyme between the four helpings and on top of the leaves, and grill again for three minutes, until the cheese has melted and is starting to colour. Drizzle over the truffle honey and serve at once.
