Small crunchy green shoots enclosed in a head of chicory, the puntarelle they are an ingredient that cannot be missing at this time of the year on your tables. The markets are in fact full of them. They are light, perfect in salads dressed only with a few fillets anchovy and a drizzle of oil, but you will find them irresistible in this recipe by millefeuille of parmesan and chicory, paired with parmesan wafers and slices of raw ham.

What are chicory

Inflorescence of a special type of chicory called Catalonia, le puntarelle are a typical ingredient of Roman cuisine, so much so that the Lazio region has recognized the typicality of this vegetable by including it in the list of 341 traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T.), with the name chicory of jagged catalonia of Gaeta. The shoots enclosed between the chicory leaves grow vertically, have a shape that resembles that of asparagus and how they taste slightly bitter. Once separated from the salad leaves, they must be cut thinly for an effective presentation.

The parmesan wafers, a simple but scenographic preparation

Small light discs of Parmesan cheese: le pods for this recipe they are prepared in an instant, they are delicious and for sure you will find a thousand other preparations to match them. For a sure result you only need one no stick pan with a diameter of at least 20 cm and a lot parmesan grated. You will only have to heat the pan on the stove for a few minutes and then pour into it a generous spoonful of Parmesan cheese that little by little it will melt and distribute itself in circles. A few minutes, the time that the wafer becomes solid and then remove it with the help of a spatula. Let it cool for a few minutes and then compose your millefeuille as we explain below.

The recipe for the millefeuille of parmesan and puntarelle

Ingredients for 4 people

150 g grated parmesan, 4 anchovy fillets in oil, 1 clove of garlic, 250 g of chicory already cleaned, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, 8 slices of sweet raw ham.

Method

In a bowl, put the thinly sliced ​​chicory, a drop of vinegar, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, the garlic and the anchovy fillets into small pieces. Leave to flavor for an hour. In a non-stick pan, melt a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. When the wafer has formed, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Continue like this until you have finished the Parmesan. At this point you are ready to compose your millefeuille: alternate the cheese waffle with the chicory and the slice of ham. Finish with the wafer and sprinkle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Bring to the table immediately.

In the tutorial some more tips