What is Radicchio?
May 30, 2009
A couple weeks ago, when I decided to make Tuscan white beans, I searched for an accompanying dish. I was pleased to find a whole Tuscan menu in the May 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine and selected “Balsamic-Marinated Radicchio with Fresh Ricotta.” At the time, however, I had no idea what radicchio was.
What is radicchio?
Radicchio, a variety of Chicorium intybus, is a chicory, a lettuce sort of vegetable with a bitter flavor (bitterness being the main quality of chicory). It is closely related to Belgian endive and puntarelle, and more distantly related to curly endive, frisée, and escarole.
Radicchio has a tight head of red leaves, with white highlights. The variety I found was spherical, though apparently there is an elongated variety as well (Treviso). It looks like a small head of red cabbage.
How to Prepare Radicchio
Look for crisp leaves when buying and store it in the refrigerator. Radicchio can be cut and washed like lettuce.
Radicchio can be added in small amounts to a salad to add flavor. It can also be sauteed, braised, or grilled. Grilling is especially good for radicchio (my recipe broiled it, which is pretty much the same thing). Balsamic vinegar is a natural flavor complement. On the down side, radicchio in my grocery store is expensive, close to $3.99 a pound.
Sources: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, and On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee.
Posted in Food Profiles |
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June 2nd, 2009 at 9:33 am
Interesting. I knew it’s related to escarole but that’s it. I generally fear bitter lettuces… especially at that price. Does the bitterness subside with grilling/braising?
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Yeah, the price is steep. The one time I’ve cooked radicchio (see subsequent post), the bitterness was definitely present, though by no means overwhelming. I think the cooking plus the balsamic vinegar and ricotta cheese balanced it out really well.
If you really don’t like bitter lettuces, don’t eat this, as it will still taste somewhat bitter after cooking. But with the right accompaniments, I think it’s bitterness is tempered.