Puntarelle, a weird variety of chicory that grows like a head of asparagus spears, defines Roman cuisine for me, said Jacob Kenedy. Served with a punchy anchovy dressing, it makes a typical winter salad – one that is bitter, acidic, fishy and salty. In Rome, puntarelle is often prepared with the aid of a grid of tightly strung wires, through which the leaves are pushed to make julienne strips. I often just cut the spears in half, lengthways – an altogether easier proposition.
Ingredients:
- 1 head puntarelle
- 30g anchovy fillets, preferably filleted at home from 70g salted whole anchovies
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 scant tsp crushed black pepper
- garlic clove, crushed to a paste
Method:
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- Prepare the puntarelle. Discard the very outer leaves if they look mangy. Pull off all the long inner leaves too – keep these, but strip off the green fronds and keep only the white stalks. Within, you’ll find a cluster of green spears, looking for all the world like the spires of the Emerald City. Cut or snap them off at their bases.
- To prepare the leaf-stalks, cut them into 8cm lengths. Put each one flat on a board and cut through horizontally to the board – separating the leaf rib into two ribbons helps it to curl.
- Cut these lengthways into 3-4mm strips, which you should put into iced water as you go.
- To prepare the central spears like a Roman, slice them lengthways into 3mm slices, then cut these into 3mm-wide batons. Do not discard any less-than-perfect trimmings, as they all taste good. To do it the lazy way, just cut the spears in half, lengthways. Soak with the prepared leaf-stalks in iced water for at least 30 minutes, no more than 8 hours, before dressing.
- To make the dressing, finely chop the anchovy fillets and mix with the lemon juice, oil, pepper and garlic. Toss the well-drained puntarelle in this. Salt will not be necessary, as anchovies have their own.
- This may be the greatest dish known to man. Serve it immediately.
This recipe features on a special menu, "An Italian Winter Garden", a collaboration between Rachel Roddy and Jacob Kenedy, which is available at Bocca di Lupa in London’s Soho until 5 February. For further details, go to boccadilupo.com.
