forThe bitter notes aren’t to everyone’s taste, but amidst these dark months, they make me feel alive. I love Seville oranges, grapefruit, brassicas, bitter greens, chicory, and most of all, radicchio. I love the burgundy-spotted Castelfranco (great for a salad with citrus and cheese) and the long-marinated tardivo (best cooked with balsamic vinegar), but the radicchio di Chioggia is the popular leader of the pack. A small nugget of cabbage with a bitterness halfway through becomes milder, sweeter and more flavorful, especially when cooked alongside a big cup of juicy chianti and finished with a dusting of snowy Parmesan.
Radicchio and Chianti Risotto
Only a few major supermarket chains in the UK sell radicchio di chioggia, and you’re more likely to find it at a farmers’ market or online through retailers such as Abel and Cole and nature. Other red wines can be used in this recipe.
Preparatory school 15 minutes
He cooks 40 minutes
serves 4
For risotto
60 grams unsalted butter
1 large onionPeeled and finely chopped
4 garlic clovesPeeled and chopped
1 Chioggia Radicchio (about 400 grams), finely chopped
350 grams Arborio rice
250 ml Chianti
Fine sea salt
1 liter of hot vegetable broth
5 peppers
70 grams of vegetable parmesanFinely grated, plus extra for serving
For radicchio and walnut pesto
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilplus more for service
16 sage leaves (5 grams), finely chopped
25 grams of walnutsFinely chopped
½ lemonFinely grated peel, then juice to obtain 1 tablespoon
Over medium heat, melt 40g of butter in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. When it starts to foam, add the onion and sweat, stirring, for six or seven minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes, then add two-thirds of the radishes and cook for about four minutes until wilted.
Add the rice, stir until the grains are coated, then cook, stirring, until translucent. Pour in the chianti and stir to combine, then leave all the rice to absorb the wine. Add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and two ladles of hot stock, then stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding a ladleful of broth at a time, stirring until each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next, about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Add the pepper and 50g of grated Parmesan, then sprinkle the top of the rice with the remaining 20g of butter. Turn off the heat, place the lid on the pot, and leave the risotto to rest while you prepare the pesto.
In a bowl, mix the extra virgin olive oil, sage and a quarter teaspoon of salt, then add the walnuts, the remaining finely chopped radishes, the lemon peel and juice and the remaining 20 grams of Parmesan. Mix well, check seasoning and adjust as needed.
Spoon the risotto into shallow plates or bowls and top with some radicchio pesto and a final sprinkling of grated Parmesan for good measure. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve with the remaining pesto on the side.
