Vegetable
Endive
EscarolaEscarolaCichorium endivia
Bitter outside and almost sweet at the heart, which is yellow because the outer leaves keep the light off it. Cold weather makes it more tender.
When
Around: Oct–Mar · At its best: Nov–Feb
Around: Oct–Mar · At its best: Nov–Feb
Around: Apr–Sept · At its best: May–Aug
Around here
It's the base of xató, the winter salad of the Garraf and the Penedès: endive with desalted salt cod, tuna, anchovies and Arbequina olives, dressed with a sauce of dried ñora peppers and toasted almonds and hazelnuts. Vilanova i la Geltrú, Sitges and El Vendrell all claim it, and from January to March towns across the area hold public xatonades. At Christmas, much of Spain serves it with pomegranate.
At the market
- Heavy, with a big, tight, pale yellow heart.
- Crisp curly leaves, without brown tips or slimy patches.
- A clean, pale cut at the base; reddish or dark means it was cut days ago.
- For less bitterness, choose one with more white.
At home
- Whole, unwashed, in a bag in the fridge drawer: 4-5 days.
- Washed and well dried, in a tub with kitchen paper, 2-3 days.
- If it's a bit limp, a few minutes in very cold water revives it.
If you have too much
- Sauté the green outer leaves with garlic, chilli and olives: cooking takes the edge off the bitterness.
- In soup with stock, white beans and a little Parmesan, Italian-style.
- Blanched a couple of minutes and frozen, it's only good for cooking later.
- Leftover xató sauce keeps several days in the fridge for the next salad.
In the kitchen
- Xató, with salt cod, tuna, anchovies, olives and its sauce.
- Salad with pomegranate and orange, the festive one.
- With a vinaigrette of well-pounded garlic and anchovy.
- With blue cheese, walnuts and apple or pear.
- Sautéed or griddled in quarters, with a drizzle of oil.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 17 kcal
- Water
- 94% water
- Carbs
- 3.4 g
- Sugars
- 0.3 g
- Fibre
- 3.1 g
- Protein
- 1.3 g
Stands out for
- High in vitamin K231 µg · 308% of what you need in a day
- High in folate142 µg · 71% of what you need in a day
- Source of potassium314 mg · 16% of what you need in a day
- Source of fibre3.1 g
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
Goes with
- PomegranateSept–DecA jewel box with hundreds of seeds. There's a trick to getting them out, and once you know it you won't stain your shirt again.
- OrangeNov–MayOranges don't ripen once picked: what you buy is what you get. So it pays to know how to choose them.
- CalçotDec–AprAn onion made to grow twice: the bulb is replanted and earthed up until it sends out long white shoots. You eat them charred black outside, wearing a bib and standing up.