Currabinny Cooks: Sweet and bitter salads that bite back
Pink Radicchio Salad with Pickled Grapes, Parmesan & Capers
Give people the option of something bitter to eat and it probably won’t get the warmest of receptions. Like with any flavour, it is how you use this bitterness, what you pair with it and how you prepare it. The particularly cautious reaction to bitter foods has something to do with avoiding poisonous plants in the wild, a trait we share with most other plant-eating mammals. As we evolved, humans have since discovered that many bitter-tasting plants are in fact delicious and very good for you.
The bitter leaves we are referring to here are the wonderfully diverse specimens of chicory or endive. There are many different varieties and they are becoming more and more common here in Ireland in farmers markets and even good supermarkets. The most common are the Belgian ‘witloof’ endive which is a bullet of tightly packed creamy yellow or pink-tinged leaves.
Other common varieties are the globe like radicchio from Italy which looks rather like a purple butterhead or frisée lettuce. Recently we came across a gorgeous baby pink variety which makes any plate of food look irresistible. Puntarelles are another Italian variety, made famous for their use in a ‘Roman salad’. They take the form of green dandelion-like leaves and a tight pale green interior.
In many cases, you can use them as a more complex and interesting version of lettuce or salad leaf. All of the varieties we have mentioned can be eaten raw and some of them are often better when not introduced to heat. They are hardier than most salad leaves so they can be braised, grilled or even roasted, this will change the colour and flavour in some cases, making them less bitter.
We love combining the bitter flavours and crisp textures of bitter leaves with sweet things like fruit and honey. Very salty things like certain cheeses, olives and pickles go brilliantly as do spices and herbs like ginger, mustard, chilli, garlic and rosemary. Don’t be afraid to play around with strong flavours, bitter leaves can take on a lot of complex pairings without being overshadowed.
Do not fret if you cannot find pink radicchio, you can use the regular purple variety or even just regular old chicory, leaves separated out. Pickling the grapes will not take away from their sweetness, the process just makes them a little more interesting on the plate. The dressing should be sharp and with a good punch of mustard and garlic. Strong vibrant flavours are to be celebrated when making a
salad with a bitter leaf.
1 medium-sized radicchio, leaves separated out and washed
1 tbsp capers
50g parmesan, shaved
100g sugar
220ml apple cider vinegar
1 thumb ginger, sliced
1 tbsp coriander seeds
5-6 black peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 punnet of red grapes, stems removed
Pinch of sea salt
Good crack of black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Tsp Dijon mustard
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
Make the dressing by placing all the ingredients in a small jar and shaking it vigorously until emulsified. Check for seasoning, it should be sharp, mustardy and seasoned well with salt and pepper.
Make the quick-pickled grapes by placing all the ingredients except the grapes in a small saucepan along with 250ml of water and bringing to a quick boil and then reducing to a simmer for around 15 minutes. Slice the grapes in half and pack into a sterilised jar. Pour the pickling liquor over the grapes until they are all covered. Leave to cool before sealing.
Assemble the salad by arranging your radicchio leaves on a nice serving platter with a pinch of salt scattered over. Scatter over some pickled grapes, the capers and a good drizzle of the dressing. Lastly, shave over the Parmesan and dig in.
For this delicious salad, you just want to use the crisp, pale green and tender stalks. You can set the leaves aside for something else. Puntarelle are very common in Italy but have yet to really kick off here, although you will find them in good greengrocers and farmers markets. If you cannot find them, just use lovely pale green chicory or endive, sliced thinly.
1 head of puntarella, leaves removed
1 blood orange, segmented
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
2 clove of garlic, minced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100g feta
Sea salt and black pepper
Rapeseed oil
To prepare the puntarella, use the centre piece only, discarding the leafy bits. Slice the centre into thin matchstick like slices and place in a bath of cold water while you prepare the other ingredients.
In another bowl, place the rosemary, garlic, chopped chilli, lemon juice, pinch of sea salt and a good glug of rapeseed oil, whisk a little to combine. Drain off the puntarella slices, patting them dry with a kitchen towel and place them into the bowl with the garlic, rosemary and oil. Shuffle everything around, using your hands to make sure each and every piece of puntarella is well coated.
Place this in a serving plate or bowl and place the segmented blood orange all around the plate and scatter over the feta. Delicious and simple.
This is a rather elegant little lunch or starter that elevates the simple chicory salad to a more interesting and considered dish. We had previously been experimenting with grilling the pear, which was delicious but the poached pear really adds a more interesting flavour and texture contrast to the grilled chicory.
2 red chicory heads, cut in half
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice one large orange
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
30g toasted hazelnuts
2 pears, peeled
1 lemon, peeled and juiced
1 orange, peeled and juiced
1 stick of cinnamon
200g sugar
First poach the pears by placing them in a large pot, covered with 500ml water. Add the sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon and orange peel and juice to the pot and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave to bubble away for around 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave the pears to cool in the syrup while you prepare the chicory and dressing.
Make the dressing by whisking together the oil, orange juice and balsamic vinegar. Chop the hazelnuts and stir them in. Set aside.
Brush the chicory halves with a little olive oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Place cut side down on a grill pan and cook for a minute or two each side until lightly charred. The colour will mute a little from purple to brown.
Transfer the chicory to a serving platter and drizzle over a good amount of the dressing. Serve the chicory between two plates with a poached pear on each.
