Mark Diacono
LATIN NAME
Cichorium endivia
ALSO KNOWN AS
Curly endive, frisée
SEASONALITY
Mid-summer through to spring
MORE RECIPES
Roast potatoes with radicchio and cheese
The term ‘endive’ can mean different things. It may be used interchangeably with ‘chicory’ – and it is a kind of chicory – but, for the purposes of this book, we shall remain resolutely British in our outlook: endive, aka curly endive, is that shaggy, leafy vegetable that looks rather like a lettuce that has discovered tequila on a long night out. It is also, fittingly, called frisée.
Endive is in season in Britain from the hottest weeks of summer through until spring. Like its relatives chicory and radicchio, endive is naturally bitter. Growers often moderate that quality by ‘blanching’, i.e. excluding light, by either tying up the heads or covering the whole plant.
You can choose to celebrate the delicate bitterness that remains by leaving endive raw and dressing it lightly. With a lively honey, mustard and orange dressing, it makes a bold salad that’s exceptionally good with chicken. Or you can dress it simply with plenty of salt and a good olive oil for an even more bracing partner to something rich.
Alternatively, you can calm down the bitterness by cooking the endive and combining it with creamy, salty and/or bland ingredients. Like chicory, it is delicious braised or sautéed, especially with rich partners such as lamb, duck or winter stews. And it has an affinity with eggs – shredded, wilted endive is lovely with an omelette.
Frying is a particularly good treatment. Briefly blanch a whole head of endive in boiling water, dry it with a good shake and a clean tea towel, then fry in olive oil in a very hot wok, showering it in plenty of salt and pepper, and flipping it as it cooks. It makes a delicious lunch or accompaniment to baked fish. A shredded head of endive, stir-fried with bacon or chorizo, is also excellent in this context. And, unlikely as it sounds, endive leaves are lovely dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried.
ENDIVE WITH CHICKEN LIVERS AND BACON
The richness of liver and saltiness of bacon are superb cut with delicately bitter endive. You could also use chicory or shredded radicchio. Serves 2
250g free-range chicken livers
2 tbsp plain flour
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
150g streaky bacon, diced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
A knob of butter
½ endive, leaves separated
FOR THE DRESSING
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
1 small garlic clove, bashed
Sea salt and black pepper
Trim away any sinew from the livers and cut larger ones in half. Combine the flour with the cayenne and some salt and pepper; set aside.
For the dressing, put all the ingredients into a jar, screw on the lid and give it a good shake to combine.
Heat a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil, then scatter the bacon and onion into the pan. Fry, stirring regularly, until the onion is soft and the bacon starts to crisp, 10–12 minutes. Remove both from the pan and keep warm.
Toss the chicken livers in the seasoned flour. Return the frying pan to a high heat. When it is hot, add a dash more oil, then add the livers, in an even layer. Cook for 4 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times.
Now turn the heat down, throw in the butter and return the bacon and onion to the pan. Toss well for about a minute, as the butter melts. By this time, the livers should be nicely done: still a little pink inside, but not bloody or raw-looking. Take the pan off the heat.
Divide the endive between 2 large plates, dress generously with the dressing and spoon on the bacon and livers. Serve straight away.