BRAISED CHICORY AND POTATOES WITH CAPER SAUCE

Here’s a warming braise of chicory and potatoes to serve as a side dish with slow cooked meats or, quite frankly, it’s equally satisfying on its own. The caper sauce is a riff on a bagna cauda to add a garlicky umami zing. Omit the anchovy and you have a complete vegan meal.

serves 6

2 bunches chicory, based trimmed, leaves and stems washed well

350g Nicola potatoes (about 2 medium), peeling optional, cut into 2cm-3cm cubes

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt flakes

black pepper

½ cup dry white wine

Sauce:

2 tablespoons Red Hill capers in olive oil

6 garlic cloves (or 2 elephant garlic cloves), peeled

2 anchovies (optional)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Firstly, make the sauce. Place capers, garlic, anchovies, if using, and the olive oil in a small food processor and blend until a paste forms. Transfer to a small saucepan over a low-medium heat and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes to warm through the sauce and cook the garlic. Set aside for flavours to meld together. The sauce can be made hours ahead and reheated when ready to serve.

Cut the chicory stem into 3cm lengths and cut the leaf section into 8cm lengths, separating the stems and leaves into two piles.

Place potatoes into a medium sized saucepan, cover with cold water and add a teaspoon of salt. Place over a high heat and bring to a boil and cook for 12 minutes until just tender. Using a slotted spoon transfer potatoes to a colander to drain, set aside allowing steam to evaporate for potatoes to dry out a bit. While the water is still at a rolling boil, add the chicory stems and cook for 5 minutes, then drain, reserving ½ cup of cooking water.

Heat the oil in a large heavy based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to colour the edges to a light golden brown. Add the stems and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the leaves, season with about ½ teaspoon salt and a good grinding of pepper, then pour in the wine and bring to a fast bubble and reduce by half. Add ¼ cup of the reserved water, cover immediately with a lid and reduce heat to low-medium heat. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until stems are tender. The starch from the potatoes creates a velvety wet coating over the chicory. At this point the dish can be served, or for a softer very tender result add an extra 2 tablespoons of water, cover with lid and cook a further 15 minutes (note the leaves will lose the vivid green colour).

Reheat caper sauce to warm through. Serve braised chicory hot or warm with the sauce spooned over.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, August 2026