Chicory braised with grapefruit, mandarin and soy recipe

This dish is heaven for anyone who loves bitter flavours – it is layering bitter on bitter, but it is slightly tempered with the mandarin juice, honey and butter. It is best served alongside some grilled meat – perhaps a fatty pork steak or a thick slice of gammon. Or eat it as a supper dish with some mashed potato or bread for mopping.

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 4 heads of chicory, cut in half lengthways

• 50g tbsp butter

• Finely grated zest of 1 mandarin and 50ml juice

• 1 tsp finely grated grapefruit zest and 50ml juice

• 30ml dark soy sauce

• A few sprigs of thyme

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Melt the honey in a small saucepan then brush over the cut edges of the chicory. Sear the chicory in the frying pan, cut side down, until it has started to caramelise, then flip over and cook for a couple more minutes.

2. Add the butter, citrus zests and juices and the soy sauce, pouring them around the chicory, then sprinkle in the thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, turning regularly, until the chicory is glossy and tender, and the liquids have reduced to a syrup.

Recipe from Citrus by Catherine Phipps (Quadrille, £20). Order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk