Pan-fried Agrodolce Radicchio

Name: Pan-fried Agrodolce Radicchio
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 radicchio; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 sprig rosemary, leaves chopped; 1 1/2 tablespoons agrodolce red wine vinegar

Radicchio is a wonderfully versatile vegetable. In Italy it’s popular cooked as well as in salads; the cooking softens the bitterness and brings out a touch of sweetness. I often shred it and toss it through pasta with some garlic and olive oil for a quick meal. This pan-fried radicchio is inspired by a classic dish in Lucio Galletto’s beautiful book The Art of Traditional Italian, he uses the long-leafed Treviso radicchio, but I’ve used the round Chioggia variety most often seen in Australia with equal success; try it with Treviso if you find some. Use a good agrodolce-style (bitter-sweet) vinegar, such as the delicious merlot vinegar from ALTO Olives. I sometimes make a meal of agrodolce ‘radicchio in padella’ with some cheese, crusty bread, a few anchovies and glass of interesting Lambrusco, like Lini 910 Labrusca.

Serves 4–8 as a side dish or antipasto

Ingredients

1 radicchio
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (60ml)
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt flakes, to taste
1 sprig rosemary, leaves chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1½ tablespoons agrodolce red wine vinegar (30ml)

Method

Discard any discoloured outer leaves from the radicchio then cut it lengthways into 8 wedges.
Place half the oil into a large heavy-based frying pan with garlic and a good pinch of salt.
Place over low heat and cook for a few minutes, until aromatic.
Add radicchio, cut side down in a single layer, and sprinkle with rosemary, salt, vinegar and remaining oil.
Cook for 3–5 minutes, depending on size, until just starting to wilt, then turn and cook the other side for a further 3–5 minutes, until stem is just tender. If you have a particularly large radicchio, cover the pan for a few minutes in the final cooking to soften it all the way through (otherwise cut into 8 wedges instead of 4).
Transfer to a platter, drizzle with pan juices and a little extra olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature.