Italian cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Puntarelle and Anchovy Salad

Roman winter salad of crisp, soaked puntarelle shoots with a bold anchovy and garlic dressing.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 head puntarelle (Catalogna chicory, or substitute chicory)
• 8 anchovy fillets in oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pull off the outer leaves of the puntarelle, remove the pale shoots from the center and cut them lengthwise into thin strips.
2. Soak the strips in ice-cold water for at least 1 hr. until they curl and lose their bitterness, then drain thoroughly and spin dry.
3. Grind the anchovy fillets and garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar to a smooth paste.
4. Stir in the vinegar and the juice of the half lemon, then work in the olive oil in a thin stream until the dressing binds lightly.
5. Toss the cold puntarelle strips thoroughly with the dressing in a bowl and let stand for 5 min.
6. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately while the salad is still crisp.