Serves 6
In this recipe for roasting chicory around a piece of beef it becomes even more deliciously saturated with the juices from the meat. But it's extremely good cooked alone in a buttered gratin dish, excellent with strongly flavoured meats such as game.
6 heads of chicory
100 g (4 oz) butter
1. Take off any loose damaged leaves from the chicory. Trim off the bottom. Either leave the chicory whole, or if they are very large and fat, slice them vertically. (I like to cut them in half like this since it seems to increase the amount of buttery caramelization.)
2. Paste the outer leaves and cut side with butter, and place around a joint of roasting beef, or in a buttered gratin dish.
3. Cook at Gas 6 (200°C) 400°F for about 40 minutes. Don't be put off by their brown and wilted appearance: they are sublimely savoury.
4. Mrs Valerie Dagger, Shipbourne, Kent
