Recipe
Recipe: Elsewhere - Chicory, Lovage & Lardo
The restaurant
The recipe
Pickled chicory
Put the sugar, water, vinegar and a pinch of salt in a pot and place on the heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, set aside and let cool.
Remove the leaves from 2 heads of chicory until you have all loose leaves. Put them in a container and pour the brine over them. Let stand overnight.
Smoked mussel broth
Wash the mussels. Put the finely chopped shallot with the garlic and fennel seeds in a little oil in a pot on the heat and let them sweat. Add 2 kg of mussels (keep 1 kg aside) and fry briefly.
Deglaze with the wheat beer, white wine and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer gently for an hour over low heat.
Take the pot of broth outside. Place a handful of hay on the surface, light it, immediately close with the lid and let stand for half an hour.
Remove the burnt hay and strain the broth. Set the mussels aside and reduce the broth by half.
Mussel emulsion
Take the reserved mussels from the broth and remove them from their shells. Mix them with mustard, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and toasted sourdough bread, and drizzle in the oil. Put in a piping bag.
Caramelized chicory
Cut the rest of the chicory lengthwise in half and season with salt and pepper. Heat clarified butter in a pan and place the chicory in it with the cut side down. Fry lightly.
Deglaze with a little apple juice and vin jaune. Let braise for 10 minutes under a lid over low heat.
Remove the lid and let the remaining liquid evaporate, so that the chicory begins to caramelize.
Steamed mussels
Steam 1 kg of the remaining mussels until they just open and remove them from their shells.
Finishing
Mix the reduced mussel broth with 150 g of butter and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Place the caramelized chicory on a deep plate and add extra pepper. Pipe the mussel emulsion between the chicory leaves and place a few mussels on top.
Cover with the pickled chicory and top with the lardo. Chisel the lava and add it to the mussel jus.
Spoon the jus over the lardo, so that it melts gently. Finally, sprinkle with some fennel pollen.
