What is frisee

Frisee is a type of chicory that has exploded onto gourmet plates. The exotic plant resembles a lettuce gone horribly awry, with a pale green explosion of frizzy leaves that adds a frisky note to green salads. Some consumers are radically opposed to frisee, while others adore the bitter and sometimes woody green. This green was popularized in the United States in the s by chefs across the country, who integrated it into a wide variety of salads, and it has since become available in many upscale grocers and at some farmers' markets.

Frisee often appears in mesclun and other salad mixes, because the green is extremely laborious and therefore expensive to produce as a sole salad ingredient. In addition, its distinctive flavor can be overwhelming, and a small amount can go a long way. It is generally served in loose chunks in salad to highlight its exotic feathered appearance. When growing, frisee resembles lettuce, with a loosely arranged head of curled leaves around a central stalk that is harvested once.

In the United States, frisee plants tend to be small, although rumors of much larger heads grown overseas persist. Frisee grown for eating must be carefully protected from sun damage, which will turn the plant the rich green of a lettuce and make it woody and extremely bitter. Farmers have a variety of techniques for keeping the center of the green tender and white, or blanched, for market.

When cooking with frisee, always tear it rather than using a knife. Like other greens, it should be washed before consumption. So, every 2 weeks at Kitchen Stories, we'll be highlighting a different in-season ingredient along with 3 new recipes.

To the market, we go! The arrival of autumn signals the return of flannel jackets, orange-yellow pools of crinkly leaves, and a new crop of cold climate-loving lettuce for us to relish. Unlike the mellow lettuces of summer, these fall and winter greens tend to be earthier, more bitter, and more peppery in flavor. The most noticeable characteristic of this vegetable is its appearance: a tousled head of dark lacy ruffles, sprouting from a pale yellow core.

You may be familiar with blanching in the kitchen , which is when we dunk vegetables briefly in boiling water, followed by ice water to stop the veg from overcooking. Blanching on the field has the same objective but with a different approach. Warm temperatures and sunlight bolster the bitterness of its leaves, so keeping it in the dark allows the plant to grow more tender and pleasant to our taste buds.

In fact, peak season for this vegetable runs from late winter through early spring December - April. Avoid any that are wilting or have signs of discoloration brown spots or slime.

Bear in mind these curlicues retain water like sponges, so definitely use a salad spinner after soaking them!