It is time to chicory. For all lovers of this vegetable it will be possible to participate in the festival of Red Radicchio of Treviso IGP in Dosson from January 20th to February 5th 2023: 10 intense days to taste the winter flower. Although this year the unusually "hot" climate has put a strain on the harvest of this extraordinary vegetable, which has not yet reached its natural maturity precisely because the conditions necessary for the plant to complete its cycle and be harvested are lacking: the cold and the frost.
The typicality of the area near Treviso, rich in resurgence waters, allows this type of processing. Its cultivation dates back to 1500 and is in fact represented in Bassano's painting "Le Nozze di Cana" and was refined only three hundred centuries later, with the arrival of the Belgian nurseryman Francesco Van den Borre, who brought with him the chicory bleaching technique Belgian.
Treviso radicchio is an Italian vegetable loved all over the world for its bitter taste and its bright colors. It follows the strict disciplinary which qualifies it as a product Protected Geographical Indication and is divided into two types: red radicchio early with a large leaf and a slightly bitter taste, and the late characterized by narrower leaves, crunchier and slightly sweeter. In this period, however, both are collected, ready to be brought to the tables of the Treviso area and beyond. Extremely versatile and with a very particular flavor, Treviso radicchio is delicious crude is cooked.
Red radicchio of Treviso, the variegated of Castelfranco IGP
C'è anche il variegated of Castelfranco, defined as the flower or rose that you eat and is also protected by the Consortium. Beautiful in shape and color with creamy white leaves, it stands out for its flavor from sweet to pleasantly bitter, very fresh and delicate. Great for salads.
Its origin is due to the cross between the Treviso radicchio and the escarole, the production is complex and must be precise both in terms of timing and techniques. The harvest begins on October XNUMX, followed by the blanching processes which allow us to obtain the taste, crunchiness, colors and shape that make this vegetable so special.
Treviso radicchio: the differences between early and late
Early Treviso radicchio has a long head made up of broad, elongated leaves. Sensitive to low temperatures, the early is harvested after a period of blanching in the field by mid-December to prevent the cold from questioning its production. The early radicchio must be plucked from the ground by levering with a spade, suitably inserted into the ground at a safe distance from the tufts. Immediately after the collection, the external leaves must be removed from the tuft since in most cases they are ruined or damaged. Its taste is bitterish, more pungent than the late variant and the texture is medium crunchy.
While the late is probably the most loved colored chicory ever. Tasty and slightly bitter, it is a not entirely compact tuft: with narrow and long leaves that end in a sort of point of intense red colour. Late Treviso radicchio is more cold resistant, is harvested from the second ten days of November to the beginning of March and undergoes three distinct stages of processing:
- the first is the preforcing, in which the plants harvested from the fields with part of the roots are cleaned and deprived of the outer leaves. After this initial cleaning, large bunches are created by tying together 25-30 tufts so that the collars of the plants are positioned at the same height. The decks are then buried and covered with protective tunnels to avoid excessive contact with water from rain, snow and ice.
- the second phase, essential for the taste, consistency and appearance of the late radicchio, is thebleaching. This operation consists in immersing the plants up to the collar in tanks of groundwater with a controlled temperature, until complete maturation, approximately 15-20 days. During this period the plant produces new internal leaves which remain white and free of chlorophyll pigments as they are protected from light sources.
- the third and last operation is the toileting in which the heads are prepared for sale. Once the bunches have been untied, the individual tufts are cleaned of the outer leaves and washed in running water.
Red chicory benefits
Red radicchio is rich in benefits. The notable presence of water e fibers makes red chicory an ideal food for those who need to improve intestinal transit and is also rich in valuables mineral salts (potassium, copper, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium) e Vitamins. Also, being rich in substances antioxidants, this vegetable is able to counteract the cellular aging process. Finally the red radicchio is rich in Anthocyanins, particular substances very useful for maintaining the health of blood vessels and, therefore, important for maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. And it's low calorie, therefore an excellent ally for those who want to get rid of the extra kilos (100 grams of red radicchio provides about 13 calories).
Radicchio in the kitchen: raw or cooked, sweet or savoury?
Radicchio is highly appreciated for its slightly bitter taste, a taste that goes well with many other ingredients. The precocious it can be used raw or cooked. Perfect for preparing pasta sauces, excellent with speck or bacon, or for cooking in the oven or grilled.
It can also be the protagonist of many dishes: oven-baked, lasagna and savory pies. Also excellent with other vegetables, such as borlotti beans or leeks, or with minced meat.
As for the late variant, it is mainly consumed after cooking. A typical recipe from Treviso calls for savoring it cooked on the grill, or in the oven, together with the Venetian soppressa and a little polenta. This type also goes well with cured meats, especially in the preparation of pasta sauces or risottos, such as radicchio, sausage and rosemary risotto.
Another very interesting recipe is the borlotti beans and radicchio pie. But radicchio also goes very well with cheeses. And the Dolce? Just caramelize it with some brown sugar and accompany it with some whipped cream for a unique dessert.
Here is a prescription proposed by the Consortium: borlotti bean pudding with dark onion and Treviso red radicchio cream.
Recipe: Borlotti bean pudding with dark onion and Treviso red radicchio cream
Ingredients
For the pudding:
• Fresh cream g400
• Borlotti beans g300
• Eggs (n°5) g300
• Grana Padano g80
• 00 g50 flour
• Butter g50
• Carrots g50
• Onions g50
• Celery g50
• Fine salt and white pepper to taste
For the radicchio cream:
• Fresh cream g300
• Red Radicchio of Treviso g80
• Butter g40
• Salt up to taste
For the onion:
• White onion g100
• Extra virgin olive oil g20
• White wine g20
• White wine vinegar g5
• Fine salt and white pepper to taste
For the garnish:
• Rolled pancetta g100
• Aged cheese g80
• Extra virgin olive oil g20
• Fresh thyme g20
• Edible flowers to taste
Method
Start from pudding, preparing a béchamel sauce with butter, flour and hot cream. Then add 500 grams of bean puree obtained by boiling them in vegetable broth. Then add the beaten eggs, the grated cheese, the salt, the pepper and pour everything into previously buttered single-serving moulds. Finally, cook at 180°C in the oven in a bain-marie for about 20 minutes.
Then switch to radicchio cream. Sauté the radicchio (previously peeled and cut into julienne strips) in a pan with the butter for two minutes. Season with salt, blend and sieve finely. Then add to the cream and bring to the boil and reduce.
For the fondant onioninstead, you start by stewing the julienne onion in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. Wet with vinegar, white wine and let it evaporate. Continue stewing.
All ingredients are ready. Pour in the radicchio cream, place a pie in the centre. Garnish the cream with fondant onion and flower petals. Arrange a slice of crispy bacon and a sprig of thyme on the pie. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and now it's just time to enjoy this extraordinary dish.
