Raw radicchio can add a bitter-spicy flavor that lends itself well to salads and dishes with sweet or acidic ingredients. When cooked, the taste becomes more mellow and can even take on a touch of sweetness. Here are three ways to use this unique ingredient in glasses or on plates.
At the Bar: Radicchio Bitters
Radicchio is a natural addition to the bitters category. It easily finds its home in dark spirits as well as in light botanical beverages. Use radicchio bitters and soda. Cheers!
Fine Dining: Bison Wrapped in Chicories
We had a vision of this dish before it came to life. To make it, we broiled individual leaves of endives and radicchio until tender. We then made a blanket and dusted it with carrageenans and salt. The seared bison tenderloin is rolled up a few times in the blanket before it gets steamed, chilled, and sliced. Then it’s ready for pickup.
Country Club Dining: Onion Caramel with Roasted Radicchio
Bitter and sweet flavors are no strangers to one another. In this dish, we apply the basic fundamentals of flavor into a simple two-ingredient dish, a recipe we include in The Chef’s Garden book.
More About Radicchio
Find all the radicchio you need at The Chef’s Garden. (If you’re wondering whether the right pronunciation is rad-EE-key-o or rah-dee-key-oh, people use both. Here, you can click on the audio symbol to hear the pronunciation that the Merriam-Webster dictionary prefers; note: it’s subtly different from either of the ones we’ve suggested.)
We hope you enjoyed this installment of plating food techniques!