Trim Base: With a long serrated knife, trim about 1-inch (2.5cm) off the tough base.
Remove Bitter Greens: Remove the outer leafy stalks and set aside. Keep any smaller delicate leaves separate.
Separate the puntarelle shoots from the base.
Trim ¼ to 1" (6mm to 2.5cm) off the shoot's base, or until you reach the tender part, and discard.
To Make Strips by Hand
1.The tip can be left on, or to get a blunt edge, you can cut the tip off at the point where the leaves start, and add to the salad separately. 2. Cut the shoot in half lengthwise, place cut-side down on a cutting board, andslice into thin strips (about ¼-inch (6mm) wide, or less). Tip: The longer and thinner the strips, the more they tend to curl.
To Make Strips with a Puntarelle Cutter (Tagliapuntarelle)
You'll need to prep the puntarelle differently to get them through the wires of the tool successfully.Tip: It helps for the puntarelle to be as cold and crisp as possible.1. Cut the tip off at the point where the leaves start, to get a blunt edge. (Since the tips are deliciously crunchy, they can be set aside to add to the salad. Or you could sauté them with garlic and olive oil.) 2. Push each puntarella stub, tender top first, through the indented side of the tool and through the wires. (If it doesn't go smoothly, try trimming a little more off the base.)
Chill or Soak (for an hour, up to 8 hours)
Chill the strips in the fridge, or immerse in icy cold water to allow the long thin strips to curl. (Not necessary for short or thick strips or slices.)
Make the Dressing
With Mortar and Pestle:Pestle the anchovies and coarsely chopped garlic together with salt into a very smooth paste. Add the vinegar and stir well with the pestle. Continue to stir while you drizzle in the olive oil a little at a time. Stir until creamy.Without Mortar and Pestle:Finely mince the garlic with a chef's knife (or use a garlic press). Sprinkle with the salt. Then, with the flat of the knife almost parallel to the cutting board, press on the flat of the knife, while slightly tilting the edge of the blade, to scrape the garlic into a paste. Add the anchovies and mince and mash into the paste with your knife. Then, transfer the paste to a small bowl and whisk in the vinegar. Continue to whisk while you drizzle in the olive oil a little at a time. Whisk until creamy.
Assemble & Toss the Salad
Drain the soaked puntarelle sticks, dry thoroughly, ideally with a salad spinner, and add to a salad bowl.Add any puntarelle tips(but not the leaves yet) you may have set aside earlier.
Toss with the dressing until well coated. Taste and adjust for salt, if necessary (you may not need it, unless you are using fewer anchovies).
Top or surround with any of the small young leaves. Dust with freshly ground black pepper.
Time: Allow approx. 15 minutes more per extra head of puntarelle.
Storing: Once cleaned and cut, store the puntarelle tightly wrapped in a towel in the fridge for up to 2 days (the longer they sit, the more they start to turn red around the edges).
Serving: Once dressed, serve the salad immediately.
Dressing:
Anchovy Substitutions: Worchestershire sauce, colle di alici.
Whole Grain Dijon Mustard Addition: Mix in 2 teaspoons (10ml) before adding the olive oil, for a dressing more similar to a Caesar salad dressing.
Parmigiano Topping Variation: Shave a few slices of Parmigiano cheese on top of each portion using a vegetable peeler.
Any remaining puntarelle tips, stalks or leaves can be sautéed with minced garlic and olive oil; or boiled or steamed, and served with a dash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon.
Variation Using the Long Outer Stalks
Note: The stalks are more bitter than the shoots, but get nice and curly, and are good in salad, as long as the leaves are removed.
Slice the bitter greens off the sides of the crisp stalks with the tip of a pairing knife on a cutting board, and save for another use or discard. (This is both because the leaves are very bitter, and tend to get tangled in the wires.)
Slice the stalks into very thin strips, by hand or with a puntarelle cutter.
If using a Puntarelle Cutter, first cut the tip off bluntly, then push the stalk through the wires, blunt top first.
Tip: If the stalks are not thick or crisp enough to feed into the tool, try chilling them in the freezer for a few minutes.
Tip: Push enough stalk through the wires to grab the stalk on the other side, then pull it through.