Pear and Chicory Bites with a Crispy Rye Crumb - Vegetarian Society

Ingredients

• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 25ml boiling water
• 40g caster sugar
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 100ml cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 echalion shallot, thinly sliced
• 30g unsalted butter (*or hard vegan margarine)
• 1 heaped tsp caster sugar
• 200g (approx. 3 slices) rye bread, cut or torn into small chunks
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 75g mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise*
• 150g thick Greek yogurt or Oatly crème fraîche*
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• chicory heads
• 2 Comice pears, halved, cored, sliced and tossed in lemon juice
• A few extra dill sprigs, for garnish