Fried chicory with warm satsuma salsa and shichimi togarashi

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 chicory
• 60 g butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• 50 ml water
• 2 m.-sized mandarin oranges (satsumas)
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 2 stalk(s) spring onion(s)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp honey, liquid
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• ½ tbsp blue poppy seeds
• ¼ tsp Japanese seasoning mix (Shichimi Togarashi)
• 1 tsp sesame oil, toasted
• n. B. Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

vegetarian starter

Remove the stalk from the chicory, then halve the chicory lengthwise and carefully cut out the inner stalk in a wedge shape. Peel the satsumas, cut into fillets and remove the white inner pith. Then halve the fillets. Wash and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Wash the spring onions and slice them into rings, separating the green parts from the white parts. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan and fry the white rings of the spring onions for about 1-2 minutes with a pinch of salt. Add the tomato paste and fry briefly. Deglaze with the soy sauce and rice vinegar. Add the satsuma fillets along with the cherry tomatoes. Add the honey and the shichimi togarashi seasoning mix. Bring everything to a boil and then simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dry-roast the sesame seeds and poppy seeds in a pan for about 4 minutes, then transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Add the butter and a little salt to the pan until foamy, then place the chicory halves cut-side down in the pan and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes. Carefully turn the chicory over a spatula, sprinkle the cut surfaces with a little more salt, pour the water into the pan, and then cover the pan and let the chicory steam for another 3-4 minutes. Add half of the green spring onion rings and half of the sesame and poppy seed mixture to the salsa and stir to combine. To serve, arrange the chicory cut-side up on plates, drizzle the buttery liquid from the pan over the chicory, spread the satsuma salsa on the side, and garnish everything with the remaining green rings of spring onions and the rest of the sesame and poppy seed mixture. Notes: The bitterness of the chicory is countered by the sweetness of the satsumas and the slight acidity of the cherry tomatoes. Toasted sesame and poppy seeds add nutty, roasted flavors. The Japanese spice blend, with its high chili content, adds a spiciness. If you don’t have the Japanese 7-spice blend, use just chili and a little Sichuan peppercorns, or regular black pepper. Vegans can replace the honey with agave syrup and the butter with a vegan butter alternative.