Radicchio Salad With Spanish Blue Cheese And Peppered Almonds Recipes

RADICCHIO SALAD WITH BLACK OLIVE VINAIGRETTE AND ALMOND CRUSTED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Vinaigrette:
• In medium bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, honey and oil. Add olives, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Combine thoroughly and refrigerate until chilled (about 1 hour).
• Goat cheese:
• Slice goat cheese and roll 1-inch balls. Combine almonds and paprika in a shallow bowl. Roll balls in paprika almond mix until completely covered on all sides.
• Salad:
• Rinse radicchio and cut into narrow slices. Put sliced radicchio into large bowl and slowly add vinaigrette dressing, coating the salad entirely. Top with goat cheese balls as you would with croutons.

ENDIVE AND RADICCHIO SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED PEAR

Steps:

• Peel the pears, cut them in half and trim to remove the seeds. Reserve one uncooked pear to finish the salad, and roast the remaining two. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the two pears cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle pears with olive oil, honey and allspice and top with a small pat of butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Make the blue cheese fritters. Combine cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until soft and fully incorporated. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Form into small balls and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until firm. Once firm, roll the balls between your palms to obtain a perfectly round shape. Dredge balls in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs. The uncooked fritters can be reserved in the refrigerator until ready to fry. To fry, heat enough oil to cover the fritters in a fryer to 375 degrees. Add fritters to the pan and fry until golden brown.
• Make the walnut dressing. Toast walnuts in sauté pan for five minutes. Allow to cool, then chop. In a separate bowl, combine honey and ice wine vinegar and mix well. Add minced shallot and walnut oil. Mix with chopped walnuts and salt and pepper to taste.
• Make the salad. Cut radicchio in half and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on hot grill for a couple of minutes on each side. Slice washed and dried endive into long strips.
• To assemble the salad, lay roasted radicchio on large plate. Season endive with walnut dressing and arrange around the radicchio. Top with roasted pear and freshly fried fritters. Finish with raw pear shavings.

SPECIAL RADICCHIO-SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• In a large salad bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. In a small saucepan, combine the lime juice, oil, honey, chipotle pepper and salt. Cook and stir until blended and heated through. Immediately pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

GRILLED RADICCHIO WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set dressing aside.
• Cut radicchio head into 4 wedges. Brush wedges with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt.
• Place wedges on the preheated grill; grill until lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and top with pistachios and blue cheese; drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.