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Fresh Puntarelle

$16.50
Price Size Sale Qty
$16.50 1lb (450g)

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Description

Puntarelle is a typical vegetable made up of very jagged green leaves, which surround a voluminous and compact head. At the center of it, there are large and tender white buds, from which the name Puntarelle comes from.

Characteristics

Puntarelle  has a curious appearance, with many florets growing around a central core, light green at the base of the head and increasingly intense towards the tip of the leaves.

In general, they are characterized by a slightly bitter taste, with a tender but crunchy texture. They contain phosphorus, calcium and vitamin A and have properties to stimulate digestive and diuretic functions.

To fully enjoy all the benefits of Puntarelle Romane it is preferable to eat them raw; with cooking, they lose most of their nutrients.  To characterize them is the typical crunchiness, behind which interesting nutritional properties are hidden. Compared to limited caloric intake (without seasoning, 100 grams of Puntarelle Romane bring only about twenty Calories) these vegetables provide:

  • protein (about 1.7 g)
  • simple sugars (about 0.7 g)

  • fiber (about 2 g)

  • fats (about 0.1 g), mainly unsaturated

  • vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B9, C and K)

  • minerals (especially potassium, but also iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and sodium)

For the rest, Puntarelle Romane is made of a lot of water. Their crunchy consistency, combined with the fiber content, instead helps to increase the sense of satiety. For this reason, and for their limited caloric intake, the Puntarelle Romane are considered allies of the diet. Be careful, however: the typical seasonings with which they are prepared can greatly increase the calorie content of a dish of Puntarelle Romane!

Cooking Puntarelle Romane

Puntarelle Romane is prepared by dressing them with a sauce based on oil, garlic, and anchovies. The shoots of Puntarelle Romane have a characteristic bitter taste that differs far from other leafy vegetables. As you know, taste in the kitchen is a subjective topic and it is not easy to make everyone agree. In this case, the taste of Puntarelle Romane is not always appreciated, especially if they are served raw.

This vegetable is suitable as a side dish, accompanying foods such as shrimp, chicken breast, turkey and boiled eggs. It is suitable for the preparation of delicious first courses, such as the Puntarelle Romane soup with beans, or, if you prefer, with chickpeas. Also tasty to flavor pasta, rice, and couscous. With Puntarelle Romane nothing is thrown away from this vegetable, so do not focus only on the sprouts. The leaves, for example, can be cooked boiled or simply seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and a pinch of salt, steamed or sautéed in the pan as herbs or spinach.              

Various ways to experience Puntarelle Romane

Raw Puntarelle Romane. In addition to the famous Roman salad of Puntarelle with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil, they are excellent paired with delicately flavored foods with prawns or salmon, but also with chicken or turkey breast, with fennel or lettuce, with raisins and pine nuts, with oranges, with soy sauce, with capers or pistachios and hard-boiled eggs. The advice is to season the salad half an hour before serving. Once seasoned is better not to keep it because it will soften and take on all the seasoning oil.    

The cooked Puntarelle Romane.  If you are looking for a satisfying dish to be enjoyed on colder days, the Puntarelle Romane soup with legumes, especially with beans or chickpeas, is a real luxury dish. Puntarelle Romane also goes well with mushrooms, artichokes, and pumpkin. For a rustic and tasty first course, combine Puntarelle Romane with the chili pepper or the sausage. These vegetables are perfect to flavor pasta, rice, couscous or gnocchi.       

Steamed Puntarelle Romane. After cleaning the sprouts, put them in the steamer basket trying not to overlap them. Place the basket in the pot that you will have filled with enough cold water to touch the vegetables, bring to the boil and cook steamed Puntarelle Romane for 5 minutes or until you can put the prongs of a fork in the sprouts, but without making them soften too much. Remove the basket, arrange the sprouts in a bowl and season them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and lemon or balsamic vinegar. Serve them warm.

Puntarelle Romane in a pan. After cleaning and filleting the Puntarelle Romane, leave them to soak in cold water to obtain the classic curled shape. Then drain the Puntarelle Romane and add them to a pan, where you have browned a clove of garlic, stir and cover the pan with the lid for 5 minutes. Add some anchovy fillets and the chili pepper cut into small pieces. Season with salt if necessary and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve the stir-fried Puntarelle Romane as a side dish or season the pasta.

Stewed Puntarelle Romane.  Cut about 500 grams of Puntarelle Romane into strips. To facilitate cooking, cut the thin part or remove the hardest part. Brown 2 whole cloves of garlic with extra virgin olive oil in a pan with high edges, add the strips of Puntarelle Romane and a little chili to taste, pour a little water, salt and cook 15 minutes with the lid stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve as a side dish with second courses of meat or fish and they are also suitable as an appetizer.

Puntarelle are a wonderful green that belongs to the chicory family.  It tastes something like a sharp endive with a hint of fennel.  To the unknowing eye it may look strange, almost like a big weed, the leaves look like the dandelion leaves. Puntarelle has become very popular in the New York City culinary scene in the last few years.

Suggestion: The famous Roman Puntarelle salad recipe - Crush the anchovies and garlic in a mortar until they become a paste. Blend in the oil, the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Let the Puntarelle soak in ice cold water for half an hour (this causes them to curl and become juicy and tender). Drain the Puntarelle, place them on a large bowl, toss with the sauce, and serve!

1 pound (454 gram) - Weight Approximates

Ingredients: Puntarelle

Packaging: Plastic Wrap

Reviews

5/5 based on 1 rating
  • GIUSEPPE O. - Mar 01, 2016
    Fanatstiche, as good as the one that you may enjoy in a Roman restaurant
Fresh Puntarelle