You've probably eaten fris?e before, although you might not have known its name. The long, slender leaves - which are off-white at the stalk end and have green frilled, jagged tips - are almost always included in bags of mixed greens, adding a mild bitter flavour to a salad.
The Italian vegetable, a member of the chicory family (hence its bitter taste), is also sold on its own, usually as a 'head', with the loosely gathered leaves attached to the stalk. The outer leaves of the head are green, while the ones at the centre are pale yellow and milder in flavour.
Like many bitter greens, fris?e is best in the colder months, although it's available year-round. When buying the vegetable, look for heads that are upright and not wilted, with outer leaves that are evenly green without any yellowing or spotting.
Fris?e is delicious in salads, with a sharp vinaigrette to balance the bitterness. You can also make a wilted salad, in the same way you would make warm spinach salad, by frying bacon until crisp, then reserving some of the bacon fat. Whisk the hot bacon fat with some red wine vinegar or lemon juice, season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper, then pour this over the fris?e leaves, tossing until they're wilted. Divide the salad between plates, add some crumbled bacon and serve with large croutons, made by mixing cubes of slightly stale bread with olive oil, then toasting in the oven until crisp.
If you want to make this salad substantial enough to serve as a light meal, add a poached egg.