Braised Chicory

Raw chicory is usually served in salads, often in combination with fruit (pears are a favorite). Supposedly the sweetness of the fruit serves to counterbalance the bitter taste of the chicory. Personally, I find raw chicory is just bitter, no matter how much fruit is added to it. Cooked, however, chicory has a fantastic flavor, especially when combined (as shown here) with some cream, bacon and a generous splash of Vermouth. 

(Allow me a brief comment on the use of butter and cream when cooking. Of course we all know that butter and cream taste great and no-one is ever going to convince me that a potato mash made with that horrible low-fat milk tastes anywhere near as good as proper mash made with proper milk (or cream) and butter. So I strongly advocate to use cream and butter when appropriate. If you want to diet, eat smaller portions or cook something that doesn't require the use of either from the start (the Asian cuisine is perfect for this).) 

Ingredients (serves 4): 

2 packs of chicory (usually each pack contains 3)

200 ml single cream
200 gr bacon, cut in to smallish cubes
100 ml Noilly Prat
1 tablespoon of butter
2 teaspoons sugar


Preparation:

1. First you cut each chicory in half (lengthwise) and remove the bitter inner core (careful, if you cut too much you end up with a bunch of loose leaves).

2. Fry the bacon in a pan until crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and gently fry the chicory, adding the sugar and some salt and pepper (the sugar will caramelize and take the edge off the bitterness of the chicory). Once the chicory starts to take color, remove and set aside. 

3. Put the bacon back into the pan and reheat. Once the bacon starts to sizzle again, add the Noilly Prat and wait until it's reduced to about half. Once that's done, all that's left to do is to add the cream and the chicory.


4. Allow to cook (lid closed) over medium heat for about 30-40 mins until the chicory has softened.