Cooking Vacations - Alt
Wild chicory with garlic
Traditional Arab cooking is based on an extensive use of the local wild herbs, as we'll see in our culinary tour of the region. Wild Chicory can be found in winter and in early spring all over the Galilee. The dish seems quite simple but the combination of the delicate taste of chicory and the strong tastes of olive oil and garlic make for a perfect balance and produce a light and especially tasty dish.
Ingredients
A large bundle of wild chicory leaves (their shape resembles artichoke leaves and their taste is a bit like spinach)
Olive oil
Chopped garlic
Salt
Instructions
1. Wash the chicory leaves thoroughly. Get rid of the hard vein of the leaf. Put the leaves in a pot with a lot of boiling water and cook until a metal spoon can pierce through the leaves.
2. Drain the leaves, cool to room temperature and squeeze well to draw out all the water.
3. Coarsely chop the drained chicory leaves. Spread them on a serving plate, sprinkle with olive oil, chopped garlic and salt to taste. You can sprinkle with lemon as well. Serve in room temperature.