They are immediately recognizable on the 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 on Club Academy my Academy of the Seasons awaits you with an entire course dedicated to chicory, I have chosen to give you some previews on the subject. follow us on: www.prodigus.it (online gastronomic information magazine) www.azionigastronomiche.it (gastronomic services company) www.fabiocampoli.it (personal website) www.clubacademy.it (the cooking school) www.facilecongusto.it (newsstand magazine) How to prepare an excellent sautéed chicory? HOW TO PREPARE CHICORY 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. The final operation, which involves draining the chicory from the cooking water and letting it cool, requires some care: in fact, it is necessary to avoid leaving the boiled chicory in contact with its cooking water during and after cooling, as this ruins its flavor. I therefore recommend that you place the soft vegetables inside a baking tray in the centre of which you have placed an upturned deep plate: this way you can give the chicory time to naturally lose its excess water absorbed during boiling, without squeezing it aggressively. Alternatively, you can proceed by immersing the hot, freshly drained vegetables in a container with cold water, ice and salt, for a very short time (5 seconds), and then lift them up, squeezing them only delicately with your hands. Applying this method will also be a plus for preserving the beautiful green colour of the chicory. At this point, starting from a good basic boiled chicory, you will be ready to sauté it in a pan. Choose a large one that can hold all the vegetables available in an even layer; arrange the cold chicory inside, taking care to arrange it well towards the edges of the cooking container. Add cold extra virgin olive oil to the chicory, two ladles of water and the whole peeled garlic, possibly cut in half (so that it can be easily removed at the end of the preparation). The salt can be added at this initial stage or at the end of cooking, depending on whether you want a more or less consistent fiber on the palate (by adding it at the end, we will therefore ensure a softer sautéed chicory). Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat, for about 15 minutes: in this phase the chicory will cook by stewing, in a fundamental phase for softening and flavoring well. A process made possible by the presence of water, which maintains the cooking temperature within 100°C. Subsequently, you will notice that the water will move away from the preparation, turning into steam: at this point, uncover the pan and raise the heat, allowing the chicory to start its browning phase in oil. Then cover again with the lid, lower the heat and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes or so: the presence of only oil during cooking will raise the temperatures to 130-140°C, and these will be essential to slowly transform the bitter notes of chicory into sweet flavors. At the end of the browning, you can choose to add a little more water to the sautéed chicory, to let it flavor further and make it softer when served. It will also be possible to add more oil when the stewing phase ends and you begin (uncovering the pan) the browning of the chicory. The possible addition of fresh or powdered chili pepper is recommended in the advanced phase of stewing the chicory in the pan. Another rather widespread variation of the sautéed chicory requires the addition of cherry tomatoes cut in half: in this way the sweetness of the preparation will be encouraged. It is recommended to add them if necessary only during the browning phase of the chicory.