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Radicchio brasato all’aceto balsamico
Braised Radicchio with Balsamic Vinegar
You cannot visit the Veneto without dining on radicchio
prepared in myriad ways. This colorful bitter green, a
type of chicory, is cultivated primarily in the areas
around Treviso, Castelfranco, Chioggia, and Verona. It is
often used in salads, but it is also wonderful braised or
grilled. Here, sweet balsamic vinegar tames its natural
bitterness. Two methods are given: you can blanch the
radicchio, halve it, and then braise the halves, or you
can cut it into strips, sauté them, and then braise the
strips.
Makes 4 servings
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Salt
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4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
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Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of water to a
boil. Salt lightly, drop in the radicchio, and cook for 2
minutes. Push them under the water, as they have a
tendency to float. Drain well and, when cool enough to
handle, carefully squeeze out excess moisture. If they are
large, cut them in half through the stem end. If the cores
are large and tough, trim them, but do not cut them away
completely or the radicchio halves will fall apart.
Alternatively, omit the blanching step. Instead, cut the
radicchio heads into narrow strips. In a sauté pan, heat 2
tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, add the
radicchio, and sauté briefly to soften slightly, 5 to 7
minutes.
In a small cup, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and
the 4 tablespoons olive oil if you have not sautéed the
raddichio, or the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil if you
have sautéed it. Place the radicchio in a gratin dish,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle the oil-vinegar
mixture evenly over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum
foil.
Bake the radicchio until meltingly tender, about 30
minutes. Serve at once.
Variation:
Wrap each radicchio half in a slice of prosciutto
before putting it in the baking dish. Bake as directed,
basting with pan juices from time to time. The prosciutto
will take on color in the oven.
Recipe from
ITALIAN SLOW AND SAVORY: A Cookbook by Joyce Goldstein
By Joyce Goldstein, Photographs by Paolo Nobile
(Chronicle Books; September 2004; $40.00/Hardcover; ISBN:
0-8118-4238-X).
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