Puntarelle is back in season! We have seen this vegetable at the farmers market, but it was a mystery to us until our dear friend, chef Franceso Lucatoro of the much beloved restaurant, Ceci’s Gastronomia, made is for us! Wow – one of the most delicious salads we have ever tasted. We are honored and thrilled that he has shared his recipe with us so that we can share it with you. We will have Puntarelle available at LA HOMEFARM all season long.
Insalata di Puntarelle
by Chef Francesco Lucatorto
A salad dish from Rome: Insalata di Puntarelle (Puntarelle Salad). Crunchy, salty, lemony, pleasantly bitter, refreshing and super tasty.
Have you ever try to ask an Italian grandma for a recipe? Well, you have to know that she will always say, multiple times, the word QB (quanto basta), which means just enough…
Sometime a dish might requests more salt than the same recipe another time (multiple factors may be the cause: weather, ingredients, personal taste etc….). So it’s hard, if not impossible, to have a precise quantities recipe from nonna. Also because she follows her heart, her instinct, her knowledge.
Now, we are trying to give an idea of quantities avoiding as much s possible the QB… but you should taste while making it and adjust it basing on your taste….following you heart. Like nonna does!
Step 1: Remove the external leaf and cut the puntarella (see picture).
Wash them and cut them very thin – see picture (if you have the puntarelle cutter) well you are lucky, it saves time – if not a sharp knife works absolutely perfect.
Step 2: Put them in a bowl with water, ice and a slice of lemon that you previously squeeze inside the water and ice. The ice will make the puntarelle very crunchy and curly and the lemon will avoid the oxidation and have the puntarelle turn dark.
Step 3: Make the dressing. Cut the anchovies (get the good ones – salted in olive oil). You should obtain a creamy consistency of them, and put it in a little bowl. Add 3 parts extra vergin olive oil (a good one),one pert Lemon juice, 1 part apple or white wine vinegar and sea salt.
Step 4: Mix it up very well with a fork or a whisk – taste it and adjust (more anchovies, more extra virgin olive oil or lemon or vinegar…)
Step 5: Dry the puntarelle, using a clean kitchen towel.
Step 6: put the puntarelle in a bowl and add the dressing. Mixing up and enjoy or as a roman person would say: Magna!
