Ingredients
Serves 4Polenta
200g quick polenta
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
150ml boiling water
Braised chicory
600g Belgian chicory chicons, quartered, or curly kale, wild dandelion leaves, Batavia, purple sprouting broccoli, cavolo nero (black cabbage), or a mixture
6 tbsp olive oil
½ small fresh red chilli, chopped
1 tbsp salted capers, soaked and drained
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
300ml water
1 chicken stock cube
Method
Polenta
Put the polenta in a bowl, with a pinch of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons oil, and mix well. Add the boiling water to make a dough.
Divide this into 6 pieces, and pat out to make 6 cakes similar to a giant hamburger, about 5cm in diameter and 2.5cm thick.
Cook the cakes on a medium heat with a further drop of oil on the base of the frying pan, and turn when a strong crust has formed on one side of each cake.
Add a few more drops of oil, and repeat on the other side. You should need about 8 minutes on each side, longer if you like more crust (it can almost be burned).
Braised chicory
Meanwhile, for the braised chicory (and/or other vegetables), chop all the leaves and cut into large chunks. Put the oil, chilli, capers and garlic in a pan with a lid, and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Add the leaves and water, and crumble in the stock cube.
Put the lid on, reduce the heat, and cook until the toughest stalks are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Taste to check. By this time, quite a lot of juices will have been created. Turn off the heat and keep warm if the polenta is still cooking.
To serve
Serve the polenta crust accompanied by the leaves, along with a little liquid.