Endive salad with walnuts and ubriaco rosso by Ignacio Mattos

Ingredients

• 2garlic cloves
• 4large anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
• 30 ml (2 tbsp)Garnacha vinegar
• 60 ml (¼ cup)extra-virgin olive oil
• to tastecracked black pepper
• 360 ml (1½ cups), cut into 1.25 cm (½-inch) cubesday-old sourdough, with some dark crust
• a few teaspoonsextra-virgin olive oil
• to tastekosher salt
• 120 g (1 cup)walnuts
• to tastefreshly ground black pepper
• a pinchchilli flakes
• 80 ml (⅓ cup), cut into irregular piecesubriaco rosso
• 80 ml (⅓ cup), cut into irregular piecespecorino duro
• 4endives
• to tastekosher salt
• 1 mediumorange

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the vinaigrette

   Pound the garlic in a mortar with a pestle to make a paste. Add the anchovies and keep pounding until mostly smooth but still slightly chunky. Mix in the vinegar, olive oil and cracked black pepper to taste; the vinaigrette should remain broken, with visible pieces of anchovy.

2. 2

   Toast the granola

   Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Toss the bread cubes on a baking sheet with a few teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then spread them out. Spread the walnuts on a separate baking sheet. Toast both, tossing every few minutes; take out the walnuts when dark and well toasted, about 8 minutes, and the bread when dark brown and toasted through, about 10 minutes. While the walnuts are warm, put them in a mortar with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt, a few generous grinds of black pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes. Crush to coarse chunks. Crush the bread with the bottom of a heavy pan into pieces 0.6–1.25 cm (¼–½ inch) across. Combine the croutons, walnuts and cheeses in a medium bowl, then mix well with the vinaigrette. Leave to sit while you prepare the endives so the croutons soften slightly and the flavours come together.

3. 3

   Prepare the endives

   Cut about 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the base of each endive and discard it. Gently peel back the leaves, trimming the root as you go, until you reach the core. Halve each core lengthways, or quarter it if large, and add it to the bowl.

4. 4

   Finish and serve

   Season the endives with a generous pinch of salt. Finely grate the orange zest over them, then halve the orange and squeeze its juice over the leaves. Add the vinegar and gently toss to coat without bruising the leaves. Spread the granola mixture over two plates and arrange the endive leaves on top as little cups for the dressing. Sprinkle with salt, spoon over the orange juice mixture left in the bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil.

What is endive salad with walnuts and ubriaco rosso?

Endive is a crisp, pleasantly bitter member of the chicory family, often served raw in salads. This version comes from chef Ignacio Mattos’s Estela cookbook and combines the leaves with walnuts, sourdough, cheese and orange.

The recipe’s appeal is its contrast: bitter leaves meet sweet citrus, salty anchovy and savoury cheese. Toasted bread and walnuts make a coarse, granola-like mixture that adds crunch and catches the dressing.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1050 calories, 29g protein, 76g carbs, 70g fat.

The sourdough and orange provide most of the carbohydrate, while walnuts, olive oil and the cheeses contribute much of the fat. Anchovies and cheese add protein, with smaller amounts from the walnuts and bread. Pair the salad with a simple vegetable soup or extra greens if you want a more balanced plate.

Build a broken vinaigrette

Garlic and anchovies are pounded together rather than finely chopped, leaving a coarse paste with visible anchovy pieces. That texture gives the dressing a savoury backbone without making it completely smooth.

Add the olive oil and vinegar to the paste and mix them together without trying to emulsify them fully. The original method also calls for vinegar at the finishing stage, so keep some to hand if following that instruction.

Toast each component separately

Bread and walnuts need different amounts of time in the oven, so use separate trays and check them independently. The walnuts are ready when dark and well toasted; the bread should be dark brown and crisp through.

Crushing them by hand gives the granola a mix of sizes rather than uniform crumbs. Keep the walnut pieces coarse and the bread chunks around 0.6–1.25 cm for a varied bite.

Keep the endive leaves intact

Trim the root gradually as you peel away the leaves, stopping when you reach the core. The core is included too, cut lengthways so it can be dressed along with the leaves.

Toss gently after adding the orange juice and vinegar. Endive leaves bruise easily, and the little cup shape helps them hold the dressing and granola when plated.

Let the granola soften slightly

Once dressed, the bread and walnut mixture needs a short rest while you prepare the endives. This gives the croutons time to absorb some vinaigrette while retaining a range of textures.

Avoid leaving it for so long that the bread turns soggy. If preparing ahead, keep the endives separate and combine the components shortly before serving.

Serve with a simple accompaniment

The salad is rich with olive oil, nuts and cheese, while the endive and orange keep it bright. It works well as a starter or as a light meal alongside soup or a plain piece of grilled fish.

The method directs you to divide the granola between two plates, though the listed yield is one serving. For one generous plate, use the full mixture; for two plates, divide it as written.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use day-old sourdough so the cubes toast crisp rather than drying unevenly.
• Toast the bread and walnuts on separate trays so each can come out at the right time.
• Crush the walnuts and bread coarsely to preserve the salad’s varied texture.
• Taste the anchovy vinaigrette before adding extra salt, as the anchovies and cheeses are already savoury.
• Add the orange zest and juice just before serving for a fresh citrus flavour.
• Toss the endive gently to keep the leaves whole and crisp.

Variations

• Use another hard cheese: Substitute a similarly savoury aged cheese if ubriaco rosso is unavailable.
• Swap the vinegar: Use red wine vinegar for a comparable tang if Garnacha vinegar is difficult to find.
• Change the nuts: Try toasted hazelnuts in place of walnuts for a different crunch.
• Make it vegetarian: Leave out the anchovies and season the vinaigrette to taste.
• Add herbs: Scatter over chopped parsley just before serving for a fresh note.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Toasting everything together: The bread and walnuts cook at different rates; use separate trays and remove each when ready.
• Crushing the granola too finely: Large, varied pieces give the salad its texture; stop while both bread and walnuts are still coarse.
• Overworking the vinaigrette: A smooth emulsion loses the intended texture; leave some anchovy pieces visible.
• Bruising the endive: Vigorous tossing damages the leaves; turn them gently to coat.
• Dressing too far ahead: The bread can become soggy; let the granola sit only while preparing the endives, then serve promptly.

How to store

Keep the dressed granola and endives separate in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. The bread will soften during storage, so this salad is best assembled fresh and does not need reheating.

Frequently asked questions