Scarole di Natale

Name: Scarole di Natale
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon currants (12g); 1 large head curly endive; 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (30ml); 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1½ tablespoons water (30ml); Salt flakes, to taste; 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (15g); 2 teaspoons agrodolce red wine vinegar (10ml)

I was introduced to this dish many years ago by the Nonna of a family I stayed with in Campania. They were from the north, but Nonna Filomena had learned to cook this local dish and was keen to share it with me. ‘Natale’ means Christmas, and scarole di Natale is a festive dish, traditionally served as part of a Christmas Eve antipasto, especially in Naples. It’s probably considered festive as the nuts and dried fruit, introduced to the south by the Arabs, were too expensive for average people to use every day. My Neapolitan friend, Armando Percuoco, adds black olives to his scarole di Natale (which is also known as Scarola alla Napoletana), so you can too if you wish. Endive is often sold in double bunches, you’ll only need the large leaves from one head for this recipe, but leftovers keep for days in the fridge and are a delicious snack, so make a double batch if you like. Use the small tender leaves for a salade Lyonnaise or manchego, fennel and orange salad, and any leftover larger leaves for a frittata.

Serves 4–6 as a side dish or antipasto

Ingredients

1 tablespoon currants (12g)
1 large head curly endive
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (30ml)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1½ tablespoons water (30ml)
Salt flakes, to taste
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (15g)
2 teaspoons agrodolce red wine vinegar (10ml)

Method

Place currants in a bowl of warm water and soak for an hour or so (even overnight).
Cut tender endive leaves from the base of the bunch and set aside for another dish.
Cut large leaves from the base, discarding any discoloured sections, and soak well in a sink of cold water to remove any grit and refresh any limp leaves. Dry well.
Place oil and garlic in a frying pan over medium heat and cook for a minute or 2, until it starts to sizzle.
Add endive, water and a good pinch of salt, reduce heat to low–medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until wilted. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to add the endive in batches as each lot wilts a little to make room for more.
Drain currants and add to the pan with most of the pine nuts, reserving a few for garnish.
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes or so, until endive stems are tender.
Drain off any excess liquid, place on a plate, drizzle with vinegar and extra oil and scatter remaining pine nuts over the top.
Serve scarole di Natale hot or at room temperature.