PRODUCTS

Escarole

Because you know what tastes good… Escarole has a slightly bitter flavour though not as strong as other varieties of chicories such as curly endive or radicchio. Although still slightly bitter, its leaves at the heart have a sweeter taste. Delicious braised, sautéed or in a salad, escarole can be seasoned in many ways.

A natural elegance… Escarole is made of long wavy green leaves. Its leaves are not curly like endive, but the tips are serrated.

Good for you… Escarole is an excellent source of vitamin K and a source of folate and manganese.

Escarole Worldwide: Very appreciated in certain European countries such as Italy and the Netherlands, escarole is little known in North America. It has nevertheless become more and more present in American and Canadian cuisines.

Try with… other varieties of lettuces (red and green leaf, romaine, Iceberg…) to which escarole will bring a hint of sharpness.

Gourmets’ Inspirations:

Escarole is especially delectable in a salad, drizzled with a warm or cold dressing, and garnished with croutons and your choice of cheese. You can mix with a large variety of vegetables (chili pepper, garlic, celery, bell pepper, avocado, radishes, green onion…), nuts or fruits such as apples, oranges or grapefruits. You can also add pieces of chicken, prosciutto, bacon, smoked fish or anchovies.

After having blanched and marinated escarole leaves to your taste, you can stuff them with cheese and bake them in the oven or over the barbecue. Follow your inspiration and try various oils, vinegars and spices, with escarole leaves or simply grill them plain over the barbecue. Finally, you can sauté escarole in butter and serve as a side dish.

The Right Dressing for Escarole:

A sweet and simple dressing made of olive oil and balsamic vinegar will subtly season your escarole while a tangy vinaigrette will emphasize its slightly bitter taste. If you prefer a sweeter dressing, you may use almond, hazelnut, sunflower or canola oil instead of olive oil. Walnut oil will make a tangier dressing. For a sweeter dressing, choose balsamic or white wine vinegar and for stronger flavours, shallot, tarragon, cider or a fruited vinegar. Finally, for a milder dressing, you can substitute lemon for vinegar and add a tad of honey to your mixture.

How to Select Your Escarole: Choose an escarole with firm and spotless leaves that display a beautiful green colour and no rot.

How to Store and Prepare Your Escarole: Escarole can be stored for about one week in a perforated plastic bag, inside the refrigerator, as it must breathe or it will rot. To avoid wilting, you should wash your escarole with cold water just before preparing it. Also, dressing should be poured on the salad just before serving. If your escarole starts to wilt, soak it into warm and then cold water. This will produce a thermal shock that will make your escarole a bit firmer. A last helpful tip: if you want to lessen the bitterness of your lettuce, soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes.

Savour it… all summer, from the end of June until the beginning of October (production of Quebec).

Related Products: Curly endive, radicchio, Iceberg lettuce, romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, Spring Mix, San Marino Mix, Oriental Mix, arugula, baby spinach, nappa cabbage.

• More Recipes

Nutrition Facts