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ENDIVE SALAD WITH WALNUT GRANOLA

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
 2 GARLIC CLOVES
 4 LARGE ANCHOVY FILLETS
 2 tbsp GARNACHA VINEGAR OR BANYULS OR GOOD RED WINE VINEGAR
 ¼ cup OLIVE OIL
FOR THE GRANOLA
 1 ½ cups HOMEMADE BREADCRUMBS, CRUSHED IRREGULARLY
 EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
 1 cup WALNUTS
 CHILE FLAKES
  cup UBRIACO ROSSO OR JUST UBRIACO
  cup PECORINO DURO (HARD) e.g. PECORINO ROMANO or TOSCANO
FOR THE ENDIVES
 6 BELGIAN ENDIVES, DEPENDING ON THEIR SIZE
 1 NAVEL ORANGE
1

I SUGGEST YOU PREPARE THE BREADCRUMBS AND THE WALNUTS AHEAD OF TIME. IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF WORK THE DAY YOU COMPOSE THE SALAD.

BREADCRUMBS AND WALNUTS
2

SLICE A BAGUETTE INTO 1-INCH PIECES AND ARRANGE ON A BAKING SHEET. PLACE IN THE OVEN ON THE LOWEST SETTING AND BAKE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL THE BREAD HAS COMPLETELY DRIED OUT.

PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 350ยบ

SPREAD THE BREAD ON YOUR COUNTERTOP (MARBLE OR STONE IF YOU'VE GOT IT) AND USING A CAST IRON FRYING PAN, CRUSH (DON'T POUND, CRUSH) THEM INTO BREADCRUMBS. FOR THIS PARTICULAR RECIPE, THE PIECES SHOULD BE IRREGULAR -- NOTHING BIGGER THAN AN M&M.

SPREAD THE BREADCRUMBS ON THE BAKING SHEET. BAKE FOR 8-10 MINUTES, SHAKING THE PAN HALFWAY THROUGH TO DISTRIBUTE THE CRUMBS. BREADCRUMBS SHOULD BE WELL-BROWNED, BUT TAKE CARE NOT TO BURN THEM.

EMPTY THE BREADCRUMBS INTO A BOWL. WIPE OFF THE PAN. SCATTER THE WALNUTS ON THE PAN AND RETURN TO THE OVEN. BAKE 8-10 MINUTES, TOSSING OCCASIONALLY, TILL THE NUTS ARE BROWNED.

WHILE THE NUTS ARE STILL WARM, PLACE IN A MORTAR AND PESTLE. ADD 1 TBSP OLIVE OIL, 1 TBSP OF SALT, A PINCH OF CHILI FLAKES, AND A FEW GRINDINGS OF PEPPER. CRUSH TO A COARSE TEXTURE.

ADD THE WALNUTS TO THE BREADCRUMBS. SEAL WITH PLASTIC WRAP AND STORE TILL THE NEXT DAY OR WHENEVER YOU FINISH THE SALAD.

VINAIGRETTE
3

IN A MORTAR AND PESTLE, CRUSH THE GARLIC CLOVES AND THE ANCHOVIES INTO A ROUGH PASTE, SMOOTH BUT SLIGHTLY CHUNKY. STIR IN 2 TBSPS OF VINEGAR AND 1/4 CUP OF OLIVE OIL.

FINISHING THE SALAD
4

TRIM ABOUT AN INCH OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENDIVES. PEEL OFF THE LEAVES, TRIMMING OFF THE ROOT AS YOU GO TILL YOU'RE LEFT WITH THE TENDER CORE. QUARTER THE CORE AND PLACE ALL THE LEAVES IN A BOWL.

USING A ZESTER OR A GRATER, GRATE THE ZEST FROM THE ORANGE INTO THE BOWL WITH THE ENDIVES. SQUEEZE AND STRAIN THE ORANGE JUICE INTO THE BOWL.

ADD 1 TBSP OF CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR.

BREAK THE CHEESES INTO 1/2 INCH PIECES AND TOSS WITH THE BREADCRUMBS AND THE VINAIGRETTE.

DIVIDE THE GRANOLA ONTO INDIVIDUAL SERVING PLATES AND SPREAD IT EVENLY.

TOSS THE ENDIVES IN THE BOWL WITH THE ORANGE ZEST AND JUICE.

ARRANGE THE LEAVES ON TOP OF GRANOLA AND SERVE.

SERVES 6-8