Radicchio

Grilled Radicchio | Radicchio Risotto | Radicchio Pasticcio | Radicchio Frittata

Storage

Radicchio, frisée and escarole store well in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.

Radicchio di Treviso Tardivo

In Italy, this is the one true radicchio. When you taste it, you'll instantly know why. Because of its exquisite looks, they call it "the flower of winter."  Because of it's amazing sweet-and-bitter crunch, it is the winter vegetable per eccellenza; it's used not only in salads, but grilled, in risotto, antipasti, pastas, you name it!

What makes it so unique is the unusual way that it's grown. The seeds are planted in June, and it grows into a large, leafy chicory plant in the field. Only after repeated hard frosts is it dug up, formed into large bunches, and placed in vats of water in the dark. Here it begins to grow again, sending out its amazing crisp and tender white and crimson shoots. After 3 weeks, the field grown plant has rotted away and is trimmed and discarded, leaving only the blanched heart.

Since 2004 when I went to Italy to learn about this process for my Hampshire thesis, radicchio tardivo has been a traditional part of our thanksgiving meals and holiday parties. Maybe I just like it because it's the only fresh vegetable that's only in season during my birthday. --TW

Recipes

Grilled Radicchio

Slice the heads of radicchio lengthwise into 4 quarters.  Toss in a bowl with salt, pepper, and olive oil to coat.  Preheat your grill or a heavy frying pan.  Grill the heads 2 minutes per side, or until the outside is slightly charred and the inside is wilted.  These can be made ahead and marinated in olive oil and vinegar (good balsamic pairs nicely) and served as an appetizer with toasted bread, or added to other dishes as a vegetable. 
 
The grilled radicchio can be made into a pasta dish or risotto, or used in a salad with beets and goat cheese.  One of our favorite things, though a little elaborate, is to make it into a lasagna with alternating layers of white sauce (béchamel) and a bacon-infused tomato sauce.

Radicchio Risotto

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 oz. pancetta or bacon, diced (optional)
• 2 heads radicchio, chopped
• 1 1/2  cups Arborio rice
• 2 quarts boiling chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt & pepper

Heat the oil and 1-2 Tbsp of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and optional pancetta and sauté until golden. Add the rice and sauté to coat in the oil until opaque, 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped radicchio and 1/2 cup of stock and stir until evaporated. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to stir, adding an additional 1/2 cup of stock as necessary until the rice is cooked, but still toothsome. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the cheese. Serve immediately as a first course with more cheese at the table.

Pasticcio al Radicchio

• 4-5 heads radicchio, grilled and chopped;
• 1 recipe homemade pasta using 3 eggs, rolled into sheets, or use packaged no-boil lasagna
• 1 recipe simple tomato, oil, and garlic sauce using about 5 cups of tomato product
• 1 recipe béchamel sauce using 4 cups milk
• Freshly grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano cheese

Once you ready the component parts of this recipe, it is assembled like normal lasagna.  I find that with homemade pasta, it is unnecessary to first boil the pasta if you leave your tomato sauce a bit loose.  The pasta becomes very soft and just melts into the pasticcio.  If you prefer a chewier texture, boil the pasta for 2-3 minutes and drain the sheets well before proceeding.  Coat the bottom of your favorite lasagna pan with a bit of tomato sauce.  Add a layer of pasta and apply a thin coat with tomato sauce.  Toss on a handful of radicchio in an even layer. Dot or drizzle (depending on the thickness) with béchamel and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of pasta and a fairly thick coating of béchamel.  Sprinkle with any remaining cheese and bake in a preheated 375° oven until a golden crust appears, about 30-45 minutes.   

Radicchio Frittata

• 2 heads radicchio, grilled and chopped
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper
• ¼ cup plain white breadcrumbs (optional)
• Balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in your preferred omelet pan.  Add the onion and sauté gently until golden.  Add the radicchio and toss.  Pour in the eggs (whisked with the breadcrumbs if using) and cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is set.  Find a plate about the size of your pan.  Place the plate snugly over the frittata and invert.  Slip the frittata back into the pan and cook 1 minute longer.  If you don’t want to flip it, finish it under the broiler until set, 1-2 minutes.  Serve either at room temperature cut in small wedges with a smear of goat cheese as hors d’oeuvres, or hot with table cheese and affettate (coppa, prosciutto, salami, mortadella, etc) as a second course.  The diners drizzle with balsamic to their own tastes.