Insalata di Radicchio e Crostini

Name: Insalata di Radicchio e Crostini
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ½ head radicchio; 1½ tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP; Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling and shallow-frying; Salt flakes, to taste; 1 slice firm white bread, crusts removed; 1 clove garlic, crushed

Like this recipe? Eat radicchio e bruciatini in Ravenna on my small group food & wine tour of Northern Italy.

Insalata di radicchio e bruciatini is a classic salad from Romagna, the eastern half of Emilia-Romagna. The name ‘bruciatini’ means burned and refers to the colour of the cubes of fried pancetta that traditionally garnish this dish. If you don’t like pancetta your bruciatini can be cubes of fried bread, called crostini in Italian. Balsamic vinegar is the other key ingredient in insalata di radicchio e bruciatini. It’s typically added to the hot pancetta to mix with the rendered fat then poured over the radicchio, wilting it slightly. Reducing the vinegar then adding it to the salad while still hot has a similar effect. Depending on the age and quality of the vinegar you use, you may not need to reduce it at all, or may only need to reduce it briefly. Taste it first, then decide; it should be quite thick and taste sweet with a pleasantly sour undertone. See the video below for another deliciously sweet-sour radicchio dish.

Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients

½ head radicchio
1½ tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt flakes, to taste

Garlic Crostini

1 slice firm white bread, crusts removed
Extra virgin olive oil, for shallow-frying
1 clove garlic, crushed

Method

Cut the radicchio into about 1cm thick slices and place in a heatproof mixing bowl.
Make Garlic Crostini: Cut bread into cubes. Place oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium–high heat and cook for 30 seconds. Add bread and cook, shaking the pan frequently, for a few minutes until garlic is dark golden and bread has started to crisp and colour. Drain on paper towel.
Place vinegar in a small saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium–high and boil gently for 3–5 minutes, until reduced and slightly syrupy.
Immediately tip over the radicchio, add a good drizzle of olive oil and generous sprinkling of salt and toss to combine.
Toss half the croutons through the radicchio, transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining croutons and serve.