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The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Molise
II
Description
Wild bitter chicory (cicoria amara) from the Molise countryside gathered in early spring, blanched and then cooked in a pork bone broth with lard and peperoncino, finished with torn pieces of stale pane di casa and a thick grating of local aged Pecorino. The bitterness of the wild chicory is the point — it is moderated by the pork fat but not eliminated.
III
The Thread
—Bitter chicory served with a rich, starchy accompaniment — Puglia uses fava purée; Molise uses pork broth and bread; both acknowledge the bitterness rather than eliminating it Pugliese
—Wild bitter greens blanched and served with olive oil and lemon — the Greek version without pork or bread, pure bitterness with acid and fat Greek
—Wild bitter greens with garlic and olive oil — the Catalan version of wild chicory prepared simply Catalan
IV
Flavour Context
Fiercely bitter, then porky and comforting; the Pecorino's sharpness cuts through the pork fat; the stale bread absorbs the broth and becomes the most flavourful element; the whole bowl is a lesson in using bitterness as a virtue
Pillars V — VII
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