Radicchio Salad
You asked, and we answered. (well, one person asked (for the first time in six years if you can believe it))
This recipe is inspired by one of the first things I learned how to make as a line cook. Chef Chris Feldmeier who was the first person to give me a chance in the kitchen used to call me “Picasso” because it would take me 20 minutes to plate one of these puppies. It wasn’t exactly a term of endearment, but my salads were sick as fuck.
You’ll need:
one radicchio
two endives
green grapes
golden raisins
walnuts (optional)
one Meyer lemon (regular lemon is fine)
yogurt
garlic
dill
sherry vinegar
red wine vinegar also works
olive oil
Step 1
Wash and dry your produce. Slice the radicchio into rough ½ inch strips and cut each endive in half. We don’t want to have to knife-and-fork this salad but we also don’t want to dip into coleslaw territory. Mix the chicories together in a big bowl. Slice at least a ½ cup of grapes in half and put them in the same bowl.
Step 2
Place 1 heaping Tbsp of golden raisins in a big bowl with a big splash of sherry vinegar – if the raisins seem really big you can chop them in half. Let them integrate for a few minutes white the raisins soften up. Combine:
3/4 cup yogurt
zest from half of the lemon
juice from half of the lemon
1-2 cloves of garlic to taste
at least a Tbsp of dill fronds
a few twists of black pepper to taste
a big pinch of salt to taste
Step 3
Slowly stir in about a ¼ cup of olive oil into your dressing bowl until it is well combined.
Step 4
Toast like 2 Tbsp of walnuts until they are fragrant, do this over low heat in a dry pan for 3-5 min or in the toaster oven at 325 degrees for 3-5 min. Let cool for a few minutes, than slice in half and add to your salad bowl.
Step 5
Toss the salad with the dressing – you don’t need to add all of it at once, taste as you go until it’s to your liking. Add some whole dill fronds for garnish, and a few more twists of black pepper and pinches of salt to taste.
