Recipe by Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani: Bitter Vegetables
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 300 gr. of cleaned late Treviso radicchio
- 60 gr. of celery (the heart and some leaves)
- 40 gr. of lampascioni (hyacinth bulbs)
- 60 gr. of cleaned chicory sprouts
- 12 chicory sprout leaves
- 240 gr. of red beet juice
- 5 gr. of grated horseradish
- 1 lemon balm leaf
- 1 strand of chives
- Some leaves of pennyroyal mint and marjoram
- 160 gr. of taleggio cheese
- 2 crumbled taralli (Italian biscuits)
- 1 tablespoon of raspberry vinegar
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Ayacucho pink pepper
Method
Flavor the red beet juice by heating it to 60°C (140°F) for 6 minutes along with the whole lemon balm leaf and a few grains of coarsely ground pepper. Strain and keep warm on the side.
Cut half the radicchio into julienne strips and the other half lengthwise to get roughly 4 cm pieces.
In a non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, add the radicchio and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on high heat so it remains "crunchy". A minute before finishing, add the vinegar, ensuring it doesn't evaporate completely and retains its acidity. Lightly salt and set aside, keeping warm.
Cut the lampascioni into 4 wedges. Julienne the chicory sprouts and celery (excluding the leaves that will be used for the garnish salad).
In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add the vegetables, and cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat to remain "crunchy". A minute before finishing, add the chopped chives. Lightly salt and set aside, keeping warm.
Melt the taleggio cheese in a double boiler and mix in the horseradish.
In a bowl, season the celery and chicory sprout leaves with a teaspoon of oil, a pinch of salt, and ground pink pepper.
Salt and emulsify the red beet juice with a teaspoon of oil.
Finishing the dish
In a warm deep plate, arrange in the following order: radicchio, taleggio cheese, red beet juice, sautéed vegetables, leafy salad. Finish the dish by sprinkling with the crumbled taralli and garnish with the aromatic herbs.
The photograph of the dish is by Marco Verzella.
