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How to make chicory by @fabiocampoli Chicory: just hearing this word, my taste buds sing in the memory that will never fade of my grandmothers who cooked it “ripassata” in their ancient iron pans, flavoring it with oil, garlic and chili pepper and giving life to a triumph of simple and genuine taste, serving it as a side dish or as a filling for a fragrant tall focaccia cooked in a wood-fired oven. Even today, ripassata chicory is “THE” side dish of Lazio (and of the neighboring regional areas) par excellence. Present in almost all menus, from those of trattorias to new ones dedicated to modern reinterpretations of tradition, you can't do without it alongside local lamb, cooked scottadito, baked or fried. It also goes well with entrecote, porchetta and other recipes based on pork and beef... but unfortunately I find myself eating "wrong" sautéed chicory more and more often, as it is clearly cooked in a hurry, and its fibres have not had the right amount of time to soften in consistency or bitterness. You can immediately recognise it on a plate, as the leaves, wilted during cooking and transformed into a sort of filaments, tend not to settle softly on its surface but to remain firmer, more voluminous and with a tangled appearance. Reminding you that my Academy of Seasons awaits you on Club Academy with an entire course dedicated to chicory, I have chosen to give you some previews on the subject. How to prepare an excellent sautéed chicory in a pan? First of all, you need to start with the preliminary boiling. After having carefully cleaned and washed the chicory, it is advisable to cook it immediately to prevent it from rotting quickly by placing it in the refrigerator. Choose a large pot, fill it with plenty of water and bring it to a boil. Salt can be added to the cooking water right from the start, and will help maintain the intensity of the green color of the leaves even after cooking (always without exaggerating with the quantity). You can add the chicory during cooking only when the salted water has started to boil. The boiling times of the chicory will vary from about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the age of the plant and the quantity being cooked. Fabio Campoli's cuisine, recipes by Fabio Campoli, chef Campoli Follow us on: www.prodigus.it (online magazine) www.azionigastronomiche.it (our services) www.fabiocampoli.it (personal site) www.clubacademy.it (digital academy) www.facilecongusto.it (on newsstands)