Grilled Treviso Radicchio Salad with Ricotta Salata, Pistachios, and Hot Honey
Thomas J. Story
The bitterness of the charred radicchio is balanced with a generous drizzle of spicy-sweet honey and wisps of salty cheese. If you can’t find Treviso, use any kind of radicchio, hearts of romaine, endive, or escarole. More is more with this salad so go to town with the toppings.
How to Make It
1
FOR THE HOT HONEY: Combine chile slices with honey in a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. When cool, strain honey into a jar. Finely chop chile slices and place in a jar with a lid that you will use for your salad dressing.
2
FOR THE GARLIC LEMON OIL: Pour olive oil into a jar. Stir in garlic and lemon zest.
3
FOR THE DRESSING: To the jar with the chopped chiles, add the vinegar, olive oil, fish sauce, crème fraîche, hot honey, and garlic. Shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust. You want it sweet and acidic enough to hold up to the bitter greens.
4
FOR THE GRILLING AND ASSEMBLY: Cut the Treviso radicchio in half lengthwise. Trim off any unappetizing bits of the stem but make sure to leave enough to keep the leaves connected at the base. Place halves cut-side up on a cookie sheet. Generously drizzle with the garlic lemon oil and season with the salt.
5
Heat a ridged or flat cast iron pan over high heat. When the pan is smoking hot, place radicchio halves cut-side down in the pan. Grill until slightly charred, about 30 seconds. Flip over and grill the other side for about 10 seconds.
6
Arrange radicchio halves on a platter, cut-side up. Drizzle with dressing, making sure it seeps down in between the leaves. Scatter with pistachios and ricotta salata wisps. Drizzle with hot honey.
MAKE AHEAD: This salad holds its shape and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
FOR THE HOT HONEY
½ cup honey
2 jalapeños or Fresno chiles, thinly sliced, stems discarded
FOR THE GARLIC LEMON OIL
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, microplaned
zest of 1⁄2 lemon
FOR THE DRESSING
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp fish sauce
¼ cup crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt
1 tbsp hot honey
1 clove garlic, microplaned
FOR GRILLING AND ASSEMBLY
3 heads of Treviso radicchio
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
⅓ cup roasted salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
16 paper-thin ricotta salata wisps (use a vegetable peeler)
Extra hot honey for drizzling
Directions
1
FOR THE HOT HONEY: Combine chile slices with honey in a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. When cool, strain honey into a jar. Finely chop chile slices and place in a jar with a lid that you will use for your salad dressing.
2
FOR THE GARLIC LEMON OIL: Pour olive oil into a jar. Stir in garlic and lemon zest.
3
FOR THE DRESSING: To the jar with the chopped chiles, add the vinegar, olive oil, fish sauce, crème fraîche, hot honey, and garlic. Shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust. You want it sweet and acidic enough to hold up to the bitter greens.
4
FOR THE GRILLING AND ASSEMBLY: Cut the Treviso radicchio in half lengthwise. Trim off any unappetizing bits of the stem but make sure to leave enough to keep the leaves connected at the base. Place halves cut-side up on a cookie sheet. Generously drizzle with the garlic lemon oil and season with the salt.
5
Heat a ridged or flat cast iron pan over high heat. When the pan is smoking hot, place radicchio halves cut-side down in the pan. Grill until slightly charred, about 30 seconds. Flip over and grill the other side for about 10 seconds.
6
Arrange radicchio halves on a platter, cut-side up. Drizzle with dressing, making sure it seeps down in between the leaves. Scatter with pistachios and ricotta salata wisps. Drizzle with hot honey.
MAKE AHEAD: This salad holds its shape and tastes even better the next day.
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