Cook Your Lettuce

It’s been spotted in salads at all the best restaurants, but really, radicchio is at its best cooked: grilled, braised, roasted or stir-fried, in risotto or saucing pasta. Bitter but not nasty, it is food only grown-ups can love. Besides, it’s low in calories.

Radicchio is a member of the chicory family ( Cichorium intybus ), which grows spontaneously throughout the Mediterranean area and beyond and is ever prized by foraging Italians.

Cultivation probably tamed some of the wildness out of the plant. But, according to culinary historian Giuseppe Maffioli, modern radicchio was developed in the late 1860s south of Treviso. Its creator was the Belgian garden consultant Francesco Van den Borre, who had been hired to “do” the garden of Villa Palazzi in the then-fashionable English style.

Van den Borre messed around with the local lettuce and was most likely familiar with the Belgian blanching-sprouting technique used on endive. Son Aldo followed in his father’s footsteps, and by the end of the century, methods of cultivating radicchio were being promoted by a local agricultural association.

In Northern Italy, in the Veneto region, the towns of Chioggia, Verona, Castelfranco and Treviso have each developed distinct varieties of radicchio. Chioggia’s is a tight, purple-red ball aswirl with bulging, pumped-up white veins. Verona’s is small, loose-leaved, soft and ovoid. Castelfranco’s looks more like a yellowish-green-and-wine-freckled ball of tender lettuce unfolding gently like a rose; it is frequently subjected to a simple blanching.

But Veneto’s entry in the Gastronomic Hall of Fame is the red radicchio from Treviso--bittersweet, expensive and seasonal. It is exposed to a complicated forcing-blanching-sprouting technique that results in elongated, sun-starved, spider-mum-like spears of purple-red with an impressive pearly white central rib, held together by a pointed, peeled root.

If there were a vegetable-rights movement, Treviso growers would surely be accused of cruelty. Selected seeds are planted in early summer, and green-red leafed heads are harvested in the fall with their root systems intact. They are then packed tightly in long furrows in a plastic tunnel and removed as needed for the next stage. Plants are transferred to low cement pools covered with plastic where roots absorb warm spring water and the plants begin to sprout (once this process was done in barn stalls, and the roots were immersed in cow manure).

Looking much the worse for wear, with rotting outer leaves and a long, hairy taproot, the plants are then moved indoors to a warm, moist environment, draining onto sawdust for a few days, which forces the development of the sprouts even more. When this stage is complete, plants are trimmed of their rotten outer leaves to expose the heart that has sprouted in the center--the tender, etiolated white-and-red leaves. The hairy taproot is cleaned up and carved to one-third the length of the radicchio head, and the trimmed, shaved Treviso is given a rinse, crated and ready for market.

Clearly this is not a practical procedure, which is why forced Treviso radicchio sells for twice as much as easier-to-grow, more coercible varieties. It’s not a simple business to jump into, since first-rate seeds of easy-to-mutate radicchio are never sold. And the market is mined with hybrids.

Most forced Treviso radicchio is sold regionally, although fancy greengrocers throughout Italy will often carry it. Outside Northern Italy, it’s easier to find Chioggia, Verona or unforced Treviso, and the same selection is either grown in or imported into the United States.

Two men from Veneto (Lucio Gomiero and Carlo Boscalo) and Fresh Western Marketing, a grower-shipper, successfully raise quality radicchio with family heirloom seeds in California, (408) 758-1390. They are experimenting with the forcing procedure.

Radicchio isn’t easy to grow, but Shepherd’s Garden Seeds in Connecticut, (203) 482-3638, offers five kinds for sale--and no forcing is necessary, even for the Treviso. You can start your own selective breeding program.

The recipes that follow can be prepared with Belgian endive, which has undergone a similar forcing regimen. Or use a combination of Belgian endive and radicchio to get more of the bittersweet, crisp sprout sensation of Treviso.

Fans of radicchio should consider making a pilgrimage to Veneto during the cold winter months, when the region’s restaurants are rarely without this much-prized vegetable. The true radicchio lover will head for Ristorante Le Tre Panoce in Conegliano, owned by chef Armando Zanotto, author of “Il Radicchio in Cucina,” a cookbook with 617 radicchio recipes, ranging from appetizers to desserts, using Treviso and Castelfranco varieties. Zanotto will prepare an extensive all-radicchio menu, concluding with radicchio grappa for those who just can’t get enough of a good thing.

So what’s the best and easiest way to cook radicchio? The basic minimalist recipe dresses it with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then roasts it in the oven, or cooks it on a grill or in a non-stick pan or griddle, not until it’s merely wilted, but until it’s really cooked and tender. The dry heat of a hot oven or grill will brown and crisp the outer leaves, while a non-stick pan will brown and soften them--both methods slightly caramelize the outer leaves. The radicchio heart will be soft, well done and almost creamy with lengthy cooking, its flavor balance more bitter than sweet.

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This basic recipe calls for minimal ingredients, a mere half-hour cooking time and a single pan--no fuss, no cholesterol, few calories, very little fat . Where has this vegetable been hiding?

GRILLED OR PAN-ROASTED OR OVEN-ROASTED RADICCHIO 1 medium head radicchio 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt Freshly ground pepper

If grilling or pan-roasting radicchio, cut head into quarters, cutting through heart to keep sections from falling apart. Wash and dry carefully. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill over low heat (charcoal, wood or gas) 10 minutes per side on all 3 sides until brown. Or cook in non-stick pan or griddle over medium-low heat 10 minutes per side on all 3 sides. If oven-roasting, sprinkle whole radicchio head with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Place on baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to taste. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Each of 2 servings contains about: 35 calories; 151 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.14 gram fiber.

RADICCHIO IN MARINADE 2 tablespoons raisins 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 onions, sliced 2 tablespoons pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts Salt Freshly ground pepper 4 medium heads Grilled or Pan-Roasted or Oven-Roasted Radicchio, quartered if cooked whole

Soak raisins in vinegar and set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Add onions and saute until tender but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vinegar and raisins and cook 1 to 2 minutes to reduce liquid. Add pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Layer mixture with roasted radicchio quarters, beginning and ending with onion slices. Cover and marinate overnight in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about: 39 calories; 28 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.16 gram fiber.

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This lasagna is delicate, creamy without cream and lighter than multiple-cheese lasagna, with a sweet, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano taste contrasting with the bitter flavor of radicchio. It’s a perfect party dish that can be assembled and baked at the last minute.

RADICCHIO LASAGNA 6 medium heads radicchio Extra-virgin olive oil Salt, pepper 1 pound lasagna pasta, preferably fresh Butter Bechamel Sauce

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Split radicchio heads in half. Place cut-side down and slice into strips. Add strips to large skillet and toss lightly with little olive oil to taste. Saute over medium heat 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring large pan of salted water to boil. Add pasta and partially cook about half recommended time on package. (Fresh pasta will be done in 1 to 2 minutes, dry packaged pasta will take longer. Pasta, fresh or dry, will complete cooking in oven.) Drain pasta and place strips on kitchen towel to dry.

Oil or butter 12x9-inch baking dish. Spread few spoonfuls of Bechamel Sauce on bottom of dish. Cover completely with layer of pasta and top with 1/4 of cooked radicchio and 1/4 of Bechamel Sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 of cheese. Repeat process, layering pasta, radicchio, Bechamel Sauce and cheese, ending with cheese, until all is used.

Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving so pasta and sauce settle and lasagna can be easily sliced. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about: 515 calories; 495 mg sodium; 40 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.52 gram fiber.

Bechamel Sauce 1/4 cup butter or olive oil 1/4 cup flour 3 cups hot milk Salt, pepper

Heat butter in skillet. Whisk in flour and cook and stir over low heat without browning, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add hot milk, whisking constantly to produce smooth sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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This is a classic Venetian risotto. The consistency should be of just-cooked oatmeal, thickened just enough to slowly slide across a tipped plate. A spoon won’t stand up in it. First-rate rice will result in the best risotto. You should use Vialone Nano, Carneroli, Baldo or easy-to-find Arborio. If you have light veal, chicken or vegetable broth, use it. Butter and Parmigiano cheese are always whipped into the risotto before serving, but I like to decrease the butter and add a spoonful of extra-virgin olive oil for richness. Risotto, like pasta, never waits for guests and should be made to order, never in advance.

RISOTTO WITH RADICCHIO 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1 medium head radicchio, coarsely chopped (if radicchio is too bitter, use Belgian endive) 1 cup Italian rice (Vialone Nano, Carneroli, Baldo or Arborio) 1/4 cup white wine 4 to 5 cups lightly salted boiling water or light stock 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano cheese 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon brandy Salt, pepper

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil and onion in pan over medium-low heat and cook until onion is transparent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in radicchio until coated with oil. Cook 10 minutes over medium heat until tender. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup boiling liquid and cook until absorbed but still soupy, not dry, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. (Stir with wooden fork or wooden spoon.) Repeat process twice more. After 3 cups, add liquid 1/2 cup at time.

Continue stirring and adding boiling liquid until rice is cooked, firm but without white starchy center, loose in its sauce, 20 to 28 minutes total. Taste to adjust for seasonings and texture. Consistency should be soupy as remaining added ingredients will thicken risotto.

Remove pan from heat and vigorously beat in cheese, butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fierce beating is important for success. Add brandy and beat another 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Each of 2 servings contains about: 722 calories; 590 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 84 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 0.56 gram fiber.