People seem to feel strongly about radicchio - they either love it or hate it. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of radicchio in salad but I do enjoy it cooked. The bitterness of the leaves is mellowed a bit by the heat and the leaves take on a burnished sheen which makes this dish quite striking on the plate.
I find that raddichio is a good foil for lamb-based dishes, especially in this incarnation with anchovies, which are a traditional ingredient when cooking lamb.
Recipe
1 head of radicchio
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup panko
7 anchovy filets, preserved in oil not salt
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cut the radicchio into quarters, remove the core and separate the leaves. Rinse and drain.
Put the leaves into an oven-safe dish and toss with one tsp of the olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the leaves are soft and a sort of golden rose color.
While the leaves are cooking, add the butter along with the remaining olive oil to a saucepan. Over medium heat melt the butter. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring constantly until the anchovies have melted into the olive oil-butter mixture.
Lower the heat and add the panko to the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the panko are crisp and golden brown.
As soon as the radicchio is cooked, mix in the anchovy breadcrumbs and serve at once.
This dish might also taste delicious with some white raisins (that had been steeped for a few minutes in some hot white wine or sherry to rehydrate them a bit) sprinkled throughout.
I served this dish with lamb with za'atar and garlic and it was a perfect match.
Comments