Salads
Radicchio with beetroot, apple & blue cheese
We have always been fans of interesting bitter leaves. They have a strident, acquired taste to them and, if handled right, can be a revelatory relief to the ubiquitous sweetness that is bred into much veg. Radicchio is often used sparingly in salad mixes for a flash of colour but it is worth celebrating in its own right. We understand that it can be a challenge for some people, but it can be tempered and balanced by pairing it well with plenty of salty, sweet, and in particular sharp/sour flavours. The beetroot and figs add earthy sweetness, the apple and vinegar supply the sharpness, and the blue cheese is salty and savoury. Use this recipe as an example of balance and have a play. It is a taste worth acquiring.
Cook's notes
Radicchio is robust enough to be cooked too. It can be cut into generous wedges and baked, either as a simple side dish dressed with a little balsamic vinegar or as part of a decadent creamy gratin. Finely shredded and wilted it makes a wonderful backbone for a risotto, pasta sauce or even tucked into a simple omelette.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ a head of radicchio, roughly torn or shredded
- 1 large, cooked beetroot
- 1 apple
- 2 ripe figs
- 70g blue cheese
- 20g toasted and chopped hazelnuts
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Method
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Step 1
Whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Mix in the radicchio.
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Step 2
Slice the beetroot into the bowl in rough chunks or wedges.
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Step 3
Cut the apple into rough matchstick and throw that in, too.
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Step 4
Mix everything together and divide it between two plates. Finish with wedges of fig, some crumbled blue cheese, a scattering of hazelnuts and a grind of pepper.
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Step 5
If it still seems too bitter for you, dress with a dash more vinegar.