This recipe is part of Ugly Vegetable Winter – weird winter vegetables that are delicious, locally grown, and often ignored.
It looks like a small cabbage, but radicchio is a type of leafy chicory – similar to Belgian endive and escarole which are also hardy in the winter. Earlier in the year you can find curly endive, Frisée. Chicories are soft leaves like lettuce, but with a bitter-spicy flavour when raw, which works well with very bright salad dressings. They become very mellow and sweet with cooking, such as being charred, seared, grilled, or wilted.
Method
WILT-AND-FRY THE RADICCHIO
Cut the base off the radicchio and break apart all of the leaves.
Heat up a large pan or wok on medium-high. Add the olive oil when the oil shimmers add the radicchio. Add a pinch of salt, stir, and put a lid on it. This will rapidly wilt and steam-cook the radicchio.
After 3–5 minutes remove the lid. The radicchio should be soft, wilted, and fragrant. Stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the radicchio has crispy charred edges on at least one side.
MAKE THE DRESSING
Zest an orange, and add the zest to a bowl. Juice the same orange and add the juice to the bowl. Finely chop the herbs and add to the bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir, taste, and adjust for salt and acid levels.
SERVE
Toss the radicchio in the orange dressing. Serve warm.