Читать книгу Riverford Farm Cook Book: Tales from the Fields, Recipes from the Kitchen - Jane Baxter - Страница 18
ОглавлениеThough the members of this family resemble lettuce in the field, they are actually more closely related to the dandelion. As a child, experimenting in nastiness, I can remember delighting in squeezing drops of milky sap from a dandelion stem on to the lips of adults sleeping on the lawn. The taste, for those fortunate enough to have escaped encountering such beastly children, is intensely bitter and hard to remove from the palate. Perhaps this is not a great recommendation for a salad or vegetable but growers and cooks over the centuries have gone to extraordinary lengths to extract culinary value from this family. The Romans, Greeks and Ancient Egyptians all prized chicory and its relatives, from whence the ‘bitter herbs’ used at the feast of Passover were derived.
The family is so well dispersed that it is not clear where it originated, but its culinary significance is greatest around the Mediterranean. Dandelion leaves are still cultivated or collected from the wild to be cooked as a common green in Greece and Spain. The Italians are obsessive about radicchio and grow many different forms, each named after the area of its origin and supposedly essential for a particular regional dish. Further north, the Belgians have adopted the forced chicons of Witloof chicory, which is normally served wrapped in ham and smothered in a cheesy béchamel sauce. The French crown each head of endive with an opaque cap to produce the blanched heads of crisp, frilly leaves so popular in their salads.
Their difference from the weakly rooting lettuce family is obvious if you dig the plant up – all the family, and chicory in particular, have a strong, substantial tap root. This is the root that is roasted as a substitute or adulterant of coffee and is used in herbal medicine as a tonic, laxative and diuretic. The family is also slower growing, but more frost tolerant, than lettuce and thrives in the autumn under the conditions of lower light intensity, when lettuces lose their flavour and their will to live. In our mild Devon climate, it is possible to harvest a supply of leaves, particularly escarole, from a garden right through the winter.
Radicchio
Dark red leaves with white mid ribs and veins. In Italy there are many different varieties but in the UK we normally see the cannon-ball-shaped chioggia type with its tightly packed leaves, probably because it will keep for weeks in a chef’s fridge. At Riverford we also grow the more upright and open form known as Treviso, which resembles a small purple or crimson Cos lettuce. Small amounts of radicchio bring another dimension of colour and flavour to salads, though in the UK, with our monochrome national palate, I suspect most is left on the side of the plate. It can also be grilled or, in one of my favourite recipes from Antonio Carluccio, used to make a wonderful risotto combining the bitterness of the leaves with the sweet richness of sausage meat.
Curly endive
Crunchy, highly indented green leaves that tend towards a white heart. The French eat huge quantities of curly endive and will often cover the heads with a cap in the field to blanch them. I’m afraid I think life is too short, so only the centre of ours will be blanched. Endive is less bitter than radicchio, especially in the heart. It is quite difficult to grow without some dead leaves, so expect to have to pick it over a little, and spare a thought for the grower before being too indignant over imperfections. The really fine-leaved varieties are particularly hard to grow to a high standard, though they are undoubtedly better to eat if you can manage it.
Escarole
Large, lettuce-like heads of smooth, slightly crunchy, bright green leaves. The central leaves tend to be paler, with more crunch and less bitterness, becoming less palatable (some of our customers have said leathery) as you progress to the outer leaves. Escarole is the least bitter of the family, being mild enough to eat on its own. Very frost hardy, and sometimes used to bulk out the cheaper salad bags sold by supermarkets.
Chicory and chicons
Chicory is grown in the field for its roots, which are harvested, packed in sand and sprouted during the winter in sheds lit only by a candle. The resulting, tightly packed, pale green chicons can be eaten raw in a mixed salad, often with boiled egg, or cooked. Confusingly, these chicons are also sometimes referred to as endives.
Storage and preparation
Don’t be put off by your first taste. Bitter leaves are always milder by the time they are dressed and reach the salad bowl, and if you cook them they are completely transformed. In a nation that measures quality largely in terms of sweetness, it is a challenge to persuade people of the virtues of bitter leaves, especially when the first taste typically produces a wince and a pucker, but judiciously combined with complementary ingredients, they have great potential. When serving bitter leaves in a green salad, soften their impact by combining them with blander leaves and accompanying with a sweet dressing. Try mixing with dried fruit (cranberries are my favourite) or fresh fruit (mango, peach, grapes, pears all go well). Blue cheese and cubes or slices of roasted squash can also be good in a salad. It is normally best to dress the salad before scattering the fruit or cheese on top.
All the bitter greens have a good shelf life and should keep in the fridge as whole heads for at least a week and often two without significant deterioration. Radicchio and curly endive both have a tendency to die back from the tips if they suffer any stress in the field, requiring a fair amount of picking over at the sink.
Radicchio doesn’t appear in the boxes more than a couple of times a year but if you do get it, try grilling it and serving with grilled fish or some creamy buffalo mozzarella.
Serves 2
1 head of radicchio
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove the outer leaves of the radicchio, halve it and then slice it into wedges about 1.5cm thick, keeping the leaves joined at the core in each wedge.
Whisk together all the remaining ingredients in a shallow bowl to make a dressing. Heat a ridged grill pan (or a barbecue), then grill the radicchio wedges until brown on both sides. As you remove the wedges from the griddle, place them straight in the dressing and mix well.
Traditionally this hearty salad is made with curly endive but there is no reason why you shouldn’t use mixed salad leaves or baby spinach.
Serves 4
1/2 ciabatta loaf (or baguette), cut into 1.5cm cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g streaky bacon, cut into lardons (matchsticks)
1 head of curly endive
4 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped chives
For the vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix the bread cubes with the olive oil, spread them out on a baking tray and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for 10 minutes, until crisp and slightly browned.
Fry the bacon lardons until the fat starts to run out and the bacon is lightly coloured. Drain on kitchen paper. Wash the curly endive and dry well.
Mix the dressing ingredients together by whisking well or shaking in a jam jar. Poach the eggs in gently simmering water for 3–4 minutes so that they are still soft.
Put the curly endive in a bowl and dress with 3–4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, so that the leaves are lightly coated. Divide between 4 plates and sprinkle with the bacon and croûtons. Top with the poached eggs and then scatter with the chives. Drizzle with more of the vinaigrette, if you like, and serve immediately.
Don’t be afraid to cook these bitter, frizzy leaves. They can be braised on their own as an accompaniment or cooked with pulses to make this great soup.
Serves 6
300g dried white beans, such as haricot or cannelloni, soaked in cold water overnight and then drained
1 head of garlic, cut horizontally in half
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 sprig of rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 heads of escarole, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
very good olive oil, to serve
Place the drained beans in a large pan with the garlic, chilli and rosemary, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 1 hour, adding more water if necessary so that the beans are always just covered. When the beans are tender, season well with salt and pepper and mix in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Leave to cool, then squeeze the garlic out into the beans, removing the skins.
In a large pan, fry the onion and crushed garlic clove in the remaining olive oil for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the chopped escarole, mix well, then cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the escarole has wilted. Stir in the beans and their cooking liqueur and heat through. Remove 2 cupfuls of the mixture and blend in a food processor, then stir back into the mixture in the pan. Add some water if necessary to adjust the consistency and season well. Serve drizzled with good olive oil.
A classic combination, best served with duck, grilled fish or scallops.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 heads of chicory, thinly sliced
50g caster sugar
200ml white wine
juice and grated zest of 2 oranges
a sprig of thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the chicory, sugar, wine, orange juice and zest and thyme and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid has caramelised slightly and reduced enough to coat the chicory in a light glaze. Season well and serve.
Easy ideas for bitter leaves
♦ Fry a little chopped pancetta and sage in a pan, then add 1 chopped garlic clove and 2 heads of finely shredded radicchio. Cook gently until wilted. Pour in 150ml double cream and cook rapidly for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced. Serve with tagliatelle, sprinkled with Parmesan.
♦ Finely shred radicchio and toss with diced apple, walnuts and some vinaigrette for a winter salad.
♦ Slice 4 Italian sausages into chunks, fry until browned on both sides, then remove from the pan. Add 1 sliced garlic clove and cook for 1 minute. Add a shredded half head of escarole, stir until wilted, then add a drained tin of chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of tomato purée and 100ml chicken stock. Return the sausages to the pan, cook, covered, for 15 minutes, then serve.
♦ Serve chicory leaves with Bagna Cauda (see Bagna Cauda) as a dressing or dip.
