How to Eat Chicory
Rinse and drain the chicory., Boil the leaves for about two minutes., Change the water and boil the leaves for five minutes., Boil the leaves once more, for five minutes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Rinse and drain the chicory.
Rinse chicory leaves over a sieve under running water.
Pour the leaves onto paper towels or a clean work surface.
Sort through the pile and remove any dead leaves or grass.
Rinse the chicory leaves again, then allow any excess water to drain.You can also sort through the leaves to pick out debris as you’re rinsing them.
You can use this same process to remove bitterness from chicory root.
Scrub the root clean with a vegetable brush. -
Step 2: Boil the leaves for about two minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium to high heat.
Drop the leaves in the boiling water and allow them to cook.
Use a sieve to pour out and discard the water, keeping the leaves.If you don’t mind some bitterness, you may prefer to stop cooking the leaves after this first boil.
Chicory leaves are the least bitter in early spring, and increase in bitterness throughout the growing season.
They will be more bitter if the growing conditions are poor., Return the leaves to the pot.
Add fresh water to the pot, and bring it to a boil.
After five minutes, remove from heat and drain the water, collecting the leaves in a sieve.Blanched leaves can have a slight bitterness also, so you may want to boil them twice to remove the bitter flavor.If you want to remove all bitterness for unblanched leaves, continue on to a third boil. , Dump the leaves back into the pot.
Pour fresh water into the pot.
Bring the water to a boil.
After five minutes, turn off the heat.
Drain the leaves in a sieve over the sink.
Add the cooked leaves to a recipe of your choosing; for instance, you can braise them in butter, or add them to a salad.Chicory leaves that haven’t been blanched are more bitter, so to remove bitterness completely you’ll want to boil them three times.
Use a few trial leaves, if desired.
Cook one leave once, one leave twice, and the third through all three boils.
See which one you prefer before cooking all the leaves. -
Step 3: Change the water and boil the leaves for five minutes.
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Step 4: Boil the leaves once more
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Step 5: for five minutes.
Detailed Guide
Rinse chicory leaves over a sieve under running water.
Pour the leaves onto paper towels or a clean work surface.
Sort through the pile and remove any dead leaves or grass.
Rinse the chicory leaves again, then allow any excess water to drain.You can also sort through the leaves to pick out debris as you’re rinsing them.
You can use this same process to remove bitterness from chicory root.
Scrub the root clean with a vegetable brush.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium to high heat.
Drop the leaves in the boiling water and allow them to cook.
Use a sieve to pour out and discard the water, keeping the leaves.If you don’t mind some bitterness, you may prefer to stop cooking the leaves after this first boil.
Chicory leaves are the least bitter in early spring, and increase in bitterness throughout the growing season.
They will be more bitter if the growing conditions are poor., Return the leaves to the pot.
Add fresh water to the pot, and bring it to a boil.
After five minutes, remove from heat and drain the water, collecting the leaves in a sieve.Blanched leaves can have a slight bitterness also, so you may want to boil them twice to remove the bitter flavor.If you want to remove all bitterness for unblanched leaves, continue on to a third boil. , Dump the leaves back into the pot.
Pour fresh water into the pot.
Bring the water to a boil.
After five minutes, turn off the heat.
Drain the leaves in a sieve over the sink.
Add the cooked leaves to a recipe of your choosing; for instance, you can braise them in butter, or add them to a salad.Chicory leaves that haven’t been blanched are more bitter, so to remove bitterness completely you’ll want to boil them three times.
Use a few trial leaves, if desired.
Cook one leave once, one leave twice, and the third through all three boils.
See which one you prefer before cooking all the leaves.
About the Author
Randy Roberts
Randy Roberts is an experienced writer with over 4 years of expertise in lifestyle and practical guides. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Randy creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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