Sour

Acid chemically alters bitter compounds. Sour ingredients are important to taste and also serve to maintain radicchio’s vibrant color.

Examples:
Vinegar
Citrus juices
Buttermilk, sour cream
Cured meats: salami, sausages
Tart fruits
Wine

Radicchio, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
Salty (almonds), sour (grapefruit, lime juice), fat (avocado, oil, almonds) and pungent (smoked almonds, onion) make this radicchio salad intriguing.

Sweet

Sweet and bitter: a match made in culinary heaven. One flavor enhances the other, bringing out the best in both.

Examples:
Cane or beet sugar
Honey, molasses
Cane syrup, maple syrup
Fruits: fresh or dried
Jam, jelly, preserves
Candied nuts

Radicchio, Wild Rice and Dried Cherry Salad
Sweet dried cherries and balsamic vinegar, sour red wine, a little pungent mustard and a pinch of salt make a captivating flavor marriage with the nutty wild rice and bold radicchio.

Salt

Salt masks some of the assertive bittereatness of radicchio, and adds its own salty magic to the eating experience. Salt acts as a filter on the palate for bitter flavor.

Examples:
Table salt, sea salt
Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
Variety of condiments
Olives
Salty cheeses: feta, Parmesan
Cured meats: ham, prosciutto
Salted nuts
Capers

Bruschetta with

Radicchio di Treviso Tapenade

Pungent

Pungency results in biting, acrid, sharp, and strong flavors. Pairing pungency with radicchio’s bold bitterness makes for a strong head-on flavor pairing.

Examples:
Mustard
Anchovy
Ripe cheeses: blue
Smoke: cheese, meat, bacon
Olives: dry cured
Horseradish
Sulfur vegetables: garlic, onion
Black pepper

Red, White & Blue Salad
(Radicchio Wedges with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing)
Vibrant colors, textures and flavors converge with tangy, pungent blue cheese, a tangy, creamy dressing on a salad of red-and-white radicchio wedges atop a bed of green. Salt (Worcestershire), sweet (sugar), sour (buttermilk), fat (mayonnaise) and pungent (blue cheese, garlic, scallions) meld brilliantly with radicchio here.

Radicchio Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing
Pungent (mustard), sour (vinegar) and sweet (onion) make perfect partners for mellow potatoes and vibrant radicchio in this pleasing salad.

Fat

Bitter compounds, according to Prusa, are attracted to fat molecules, actually binding with them. So ingredients with a high percentage of fat will act as a buffer for bitter flavors.

Examples:
Mild or flavored oils
Extra-virgin olive oil
Butter and rich dairy products
Rich cheeses
Avocado
Bacon, oily fish such as salmon

Cheese Trio & Radicchio Pizza
This is an "everything" pizza with special flair: A tender, golden pizza crust is topped with creamy mozzarella and fontina cheeses, pungent and rich Gorgonzola, tangy fermented pancetta and a shower of shredded radicchio. The radicchio roasts in a hot oven atop the melting cheeses for a flavor combo that's beyond compare.

Radicchio Wrapped Goat Cheese
Cooking radicchio mellows its assertiveness. Here radicchio leaves are blanched briefly, rolled up with a rich cheese mixture and then grilled for a touch of smoke. Serve with a nicely balanced, pungent & sour vinaigrette and sweet 'n' sour fresh tomatoes.

 

Cooking

Cooking alters bright, bitter flavors and tames assertive radicchio. Quick, direct-heat cooking methods transform radicchio into a slightly more mellow vegetable.

Examples:
Grilling
Roasting
Sautéing
Poach/Blanch
Deep fried

White Bean Salad on Grilled Treviso
Grilled radicchio provides a background of smoky and bitter, enhanced with sour (lemon juice), pungent (garlic, anchovy, black pepper) and fat (olive oil) for a sublime




Grilled Radicchio di Treviso Tart
This tempting tart sports grilled radicchio (some pungent smoke) and bacon (fat, pungent, sweet, salt) with pine nuts, cream cheese and blue cheese (rich, pungent) for an appetizer that's guaranteed to vanish before your eyes.