Italian cicoria or hindbeh is available from Middle Eastern stores in summer. The type I buy in Sicily comes in long bunches, with thin stems and wide leaves that are kind of serrated with pointed ends where they branch off and it is slightly different from that available in Lebanon. That said, the taste is pretty much the same and it makes a wonderful mezze dish that also has the advantage of being supremely healthy.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 2¼ pounds (1 kg) Italian cicoria or wild endive
- Sea salt
- ½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium onions (about 14 oz/400 g total), halved and cut into thin wedges
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Wash and drain the cicoria. Trim the bottoms of the stems and cut into pieces 2½ inches (6 cm) long.
- Set up a large bowl of ice and water. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste (I like to add enough salt so that I don’t need to salt the greens after). Add the cicoria, return to a boil, and let
bubble for 5 minutes, until just cooked. Drain the cicoria and dunk in the iced water. - Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns a rich golden brown, being mindful not to let it burn, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer three-quarters of the onion to a sieve to drain any excess oil and crisp up. Leave the rest in the
pan. - Squeeze the cooked cicoria dry, then loosen the leaves and put them in the pan with the fried onion and oil. Sauté over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly, until the cicoria is well blended with the oil and onion.
Transfer to a serving platter. Scatter the crispy onion all over. Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.
