Roasted chicory with blood orange and salted pecans
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Roasted chicory with blood orange and salted pecans
Roasting the chicory mellows some of its natural bitterness, especially when paired with blood orange segments and salty roasted pecans
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Spencer Lengsfield
Ingredients
For the chicory
- 3 heads red chicory
- 2 heads white chicory
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
- 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
For the salad
- 50g pecan halves
- ½ shallot, thinly sliced into rings
- 2 blood oranges
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard*
- ¼ x 30g pack basil, leaves picked
Step by step
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Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Slice each chicory head lengthways into 2 or 3 sections depending on their size, then arrange in a large roasting tray. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the sugar and ½ tablespoon of red wine vinegar; season then pour over the chicory. Transfer to the oven and roast for 45 minutes, turning halfway, until soft and starting to caramelise.
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On another tray, add the pecans and toss with a small drizzle of oil and a big pinch of salt, then roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool then roughly chop. Add the sliced shallot to a bowl of ice water. Set aside.
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For the vinaigrette, whisk together the juice of 1 blood orange, the mustard, the remaining olive oil and vinegar, and season well. Slice the remaining blood orange into segments. -
Arrange the chicory and blood orange segments on a platter, then drizzle over the vinaigrette. Top with the drained shallot slices, the salted roasted pecans and basil leaves to serve.
*Check your mustard is gluten-free, if required.
