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Frisee
Inventory, 24 ct : 0
Description/Taste
Frisee is bright to light green at its leaf tips fading to a pale yellow to white at its core. The lacy green leaves offer a slightly bitter flavor and tender texture. The white to yellow center has a subtle crunch and offers a much milder flavor than the leaf tips. The gradient coloring is a result of a common growing process used in chicory and endive production where greens are shielded from light for a period of time during growth.
Seasons/Availability
Frisee is available year-round.
Current Facts
A curly form of true endive, Frisee is botanically known as Chichorium endivia. Like other varieties of endive, Frisee is a member of the Asteraceae, Composite or Daisy family and part of the Cichorium genus. Although the leafy vegetable known as Belgian endive is related to true endives such as Frisee, it is in actuality botanically classified as cultivated variety of the true chicory family. In the United States Frisee is also marketed under the name Curly endive and in France as chicorée Frisée.
Applications
Frisee is most often used raw in fresh applications though it can also be wilted or sautéed to mellow its bitterness. Utilize Frisee to add texture and crunch to leafy green, stacked and lightly chopped salads. Frisee is a hardy green and will maintain its texture when paired with warm ingredients making it ideal as part of a salad bed for grilled steak, salmon and chicken. The bitter flavor of Frisee marries well sweet, sour and salty accompaniments such as orange segments, pomegranate seeds, pears, bacon lardons, garlic, anchovies, poached egg, toasted walnuts, balsamic vinegar and robust creamy cheeses such as blue and goat. Frisee will keep, refrigerated, for one to two weeks.
Geography/History
True endives such as Frisee are believed to date back to ancient Egypt, making their way to Northern Europe by 1200 A.D. The unique coloring of true endives such as Frisee is achieved by tying up each loose head of the green at the leaf tip of the bunch to prevent the sun from penetrating the center. This process is called blanching and allows the core of the Frisee to remain bright white to yellow while the outer leaves turn a vibrant shade of green. While able to thrive in both mild and cold climates Frisee grown in cold conditions will be milder and less bitter in flavor.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Frisee. One
is easiest, three is harder.
