Puntarelle - a new discovery among vegetables
Every once in a while I stumble upon a product that I am completely unfamiliar with. For example, I recently saw a vegetable called "puntarelle" at the greengrocer’s. At first, puntarelle reminded me of a type of endive, but with pointy leaves. My surprise was great when I took the vegetable out of my grocery bag at home and took a closer look. Are you curious about the puntarelle? In this blog I'll tell you all about it.
What is puntarelle?
Puntarelle is a vegetable belonging to the chicory family. You guessed it: it has a slightly bitter taste. The vegetable is fairly large, has an elongated head shape and long, thin, fleshy leaves. These are reminiscent of the leaves of the dandelion plant. The surprise is in the heart of the head. That’s where you find the "puntarelle" or pointed shoots. They are the tastiest part of the vegetable.
Where does puntarelle come from?
Puntarelle is mainly grown in the area around Rome. In Italy, you can also find the vegetable as cimata or cicoria catalogna. Puntarelle grows during the winter months, from November to February.
IN Belgium, this vegetable is not easy to find. However, I find puntarella so delicious that I am willing to make a trip to a specialty store for them. Do you live around Brussels? Then go to Le Marché des Chefs or to Rob, the Gourmets' Market. Sometimes you can find puntarelle in Cru chain stores. In London, you buy them at almost every vegetable market.
Do you have your own vegetable garden? Then grow your own puntarelle . You can buy the seeds online at vreeken.nl or kweek.gent. This year I am starting my own vegetable and herb garden and the puntarelle will not be absent from the garden.
Preparing puntarella: curling the shoots
If you want to prepare puntarelle, you must first curl the shoots. You do this with water, ice and lemon. Young plants have the most beautiful and firm shoots. As the puntarelle get older, they become hollow inside.
Separate the shoots at the heart of the plant. Then cut them in very thin slices lengthwise. It is best to use a mandolin for this. Take a bowl of cold water and add ice and lemon juice. In it the puntarelle should soak for an hour. The finely chopped shoots will thus lose some of their bitter taste. The thermal shock of the ice curls them and makes them deliciously crisp. Thanks to the lemon juice the puntarelle retain their fresh color.
Using the outer leaves
You can use only the softest outer leaves of the puntarelle. Cut the soft leaves of a young plant into chunky pieces. Quickly braise these in olive oil. Add lemon juice, as well as freshly ground pepper and fleur de sel. Sprinkle crispy fried bacon on top and you have a slightly bitter and delicious dish.