Minestra di Cicoria Amara e Pecorino Molisano

Molise

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.

• 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 → Fave e Cicoria 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 → Radikia (wild chicory with lemon and oil) Greek
• Wild bitter greens with garlic and olive oil — the Catalan version of wild chicory prepared simply → Xicória amarga a la catalana Catalan

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