Puntarelle alla romana
Ingredients
- 1 head of puntarelle
For the garlic and anchovy dressing:
- 250 ml 1 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g 2 oz anchovy fillets
- 3-4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 100 ml 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prep your puntarelle
- Start by removing the large outer leaves from the head.
- A head of puntarelle with a tagliapuntarelle bottom right
- You will be left with an inner core of rather thick shoots—they look a bit like short, plump asparagus—and a few very slender leaves:
- Cut off the tough base of this core and separate the shoots. Then push each shoot through the puntarelle cutter so as to produce little julienne strips. Or use a paring knife.
- As you julienne the stalks, place them in a large bowl of ice water, along with the slender leaves. And when you're done, add more ice and let the puntarelle soak in the fridge for at least one hour.
- After soaking, drain the puntarelle and pat them very dry.
Make the garlic and anchovy dressing
- Place the garlic cloves in a mortar and grind them into a fine paste, then add the anchovy fillets and grind them, too, but not as fine.
- Add the olive oil and then the vinegar, then mix well with a fork or whisk.
- Finally, season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Assemble your salad
- Place a handful of puntarelle on a salad plate or in a shallow bowl.
- Drizzle over dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
The puntarelle shoots can also be julienned with a paring knife, in which case trim off the solid base and cut the hollow tips with your knife.