Grilled Treviso Radicchio with Lemon Tahini Dressing
It’s finally here! The long awaited and first-ever spring planting of Radicchio awaits your tables. Radicchio is traditionally a late fall and early winter crop since it’s particularly heat sensitive. But for those of us that can’t wait a whole year for another bite, we like to get a spring harvest in too.
Treviso radicchio is a specialty Italian variety that’s tough to find at your standard supermarket. Shaped like a small football, it has a firm texture with a slightly bitter flavor- great for eating raw in salad or (unlike other radicchio) grilling! Have fun experimenting with the recipe below and change up your nuts, cheeses, or dressings to impress all the dinner party friends.
Ingredients:
Serves 4 people
-3 Treviso radicchio, cut in half lengthwise with leaves still connected at the base
-1/2 cup pistachios, crushed
-1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese (or your favorite cheese)
-1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp Tahini
-1 tsp sugar
-3 tsp minced garlic (1 tsp for sauce and 2 tsp for radicchio)
-¼ cup + 3 tbsp olive oil
Method:
1) To make the dressing, whisk together lemon juice, soy sauce, tahini, sugar, 1 tsp garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Set aside.
2) Cut radicchios in half lengthwise but keep the base connected so the leaves remain together. Rub in 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp of minced garlic on the flat open-faced side of the radicchios.
3) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over high heat until smoking hot, about 5 minutes. Place the radicchio flat/oiled side down for about 30 seconds or until slightly charred. Then turn heat down to medium and flip the radicchio on its curved back and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until tender.
4) Place cooked radicchios on serving plate and drizzle with tahini dressing, sprinkle with gorgonzola and pistachios and enjoy!