Perfect Puntarelle with Two Sauces

Method

1. Clean the puntarelle by stripping away the tough outer leaves (save them to boil or sauté later).
2. Peel off the fibrous outer layer from the bottom base of the inner stalks to ensure they stay tender.
3. Cut the puntarelle into thin strips, either by using a specific wire puntarelle cutter tool or manually with a knife by slicing them lengthwise and making cross-cuts.
4. Submerge the sliced puntarelle in a bowl filled with very cold water and ice cubes. Rest them in the refrigerator for 1 to 1.5 hours until they curl up and become extra crunchy.
5. Prepare the classic sauce: In a blender, combine anchovies in oil (reserve a couple for topping), a clove of garlic with the inner germ removed, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and a small piece of orange zest. Blend while slowly drizzling in extra virgin olive oil until it creates a thick, eggless mayonnaise emulsion.
6. Prepare the vegan citrus sauce: Grate the zest of an orange, a mandarin, and a lemon directly into a container. Massage the orange and mandarin to break the fibers, squeeze out their juice, and add it to the zests. Add a small splash of apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and smooth Dijon mustard. Blend while slowly drizzling in extra virgin olive oil to form a creamy emulsion.
7. Drain the curled puntarelle completely and dry them thoroughly using a clean kitchen cloth.
8. Toast thick slices of bread in the oven until crispy to prepare the bruschetta.
9. Divide the puntarelle into two batches. Toss the first batch with the classic anchovy sauce and top with the reserved whole anchovies. Toss the second batch with the vegan citrus sauce and mix in fresh orange segments. Serve both variations immediately over the warm toasted bread.