recipe
Braised chicory stems with cannellini beans and bagna càuda
We are at that seasonal cusp, when the air temperature is getting warmer, the soil and ocean are still cool but the sun is starting to become more imposing. At this time of year, most of our winter crops begin to bolt. Everything is throwing all of its energy to the sky.
I have spent countless years picking herb leaves, or cutting florets of broccoli and cauliflower, only to then discard the tough centre stem. But in recent years I have come to really love these elements of herbs and vegetables. They just have to be viewed in a different light. So, too, the bolting plants. A wonderful grower in Tasmania used to say to me while picking leaves: “If you can pick it with your fingers, you can chew it with your teeth.”
These bolting leafy plants and tough stems can indeed be difficult to eat, but with a little preparation using a peeler, a sharp knife or some intense heat, I find they can be very delicious – possibly more delicious than the more desired elements of the plant. A great example of this is the artichoke, a thistle that requires a fair bit of trimming to get to the tastiest parts.
Celtuce, cardoon and even the stem of the humble silverbeet are all versions of the same concept. One of the most memorable things I have eaten was a cardoon stem sliced thinly, with a single piece of cured pork fat on top.
This recipe is derived from a classic Italian dish of chicory and white beans. I love the texture and bitterness of good chicory, and some variations are found using different varieties such as the stunning puntarelle. To keep this dish purely vegetable-based, you could add parmesan rind to the braising chicory, and capers instead of the anchovies in the bagna càuda.
Time: 30 minutes preparation + 1 hour cooking
Serves 2 as a meal
- 200g dried cannellini beans
- salt
- 500g or 2 bunches chicory
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 20ml olive oil
- 150ml white wine
Bagna càuda
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 4 fillets good-quality anchovies
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 40ml olive oil
- Soak the cannellini beans in cold water overnight, then place them in a pot of fresh water and simmer gently for about an hour or until tender. Add salt and let them sit in the liquid until they cool. Strain and retain the cooking liquid.
- Strip the leaves from the chicory and peel the thick stem, then cut into thin strips where the vegetable is toughest. Cut larger pieces as the leaves become more tender.
- Sauté the larger pieces in a pot with the crushed garlic cloves and olive oil for a couple of minutes before adding the green and more tender leaves. Cook further until the leaves have broken down somewhat, then add the wine. Bring this to the boil, then add the beans and 150 millilitres of the cooking liquid.
- Place the pot into an oven and cook at 160ºC for 20 minutes uncovered.
- For the bagna càuda, use a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic, then add the anchovies and pound together. Add the lemon juice and zest, then the olive oil. Work in a circular motion until it all emulsifies.
- Serve at room temperature, with the bagna càuda on the side, to be added to taste. I tend to use the whole lot.
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on September 20, 2025 as "Stem sell".
For almost a decade, The Saturday Paper has published Australia’s leading writers and thinkers. We have pursued stories that are ignored elsewhere, covering them with sensitivity and depth. We have done this on refugee policy, on government integrity, on robo-debt, on aged care, on climate change, on the pandemic.
All our journalism is fiercely independent. It relies on the support of readers. By subscribing to The Saturday Paper, you are ensuring that we can continue to produce essential, issue-defining coverage, to dig out stories that take time, to doggedly hold to account politicians and the political class.
There are very few titles that have the freedom and the space to produce journalism like this. In a country with a concentration of media ownership unlike anything else in the world, it is vitally important. Your subscription helps make it possible.
Subscriber exclusive
Send this article to a friend for free.
Share this subscriber exclusive article with a friend or family member using share credits.
