Why this recipe works when grilled, the beautiful red-purple leaves of radicchio become lightly crisp and smoky-tasting. To keep the fragile radicchio from falling apart on the grill, we cut it through the core end into thick wedges. And for leaves that were smoky but not singed, we found it was necessary to coat the leaves liberally with olive oil; we infused that oil with extra flavor by microwaving it with garlic and rosemary before brushing it on the radicchio wedges. For optimal browning, we flipped each wedge of radicchio so that the two cut sides of the wedges could rest directly against the grill grate. This simple side is great with grilled steaks.
SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 3 heads radicchio (10ounces each), quartered
- Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Microwave oil, garlic, and rosemary in bowl until bubbling, about 1 minute; let mixture steep for 1 minute. Brush radicchio with ¼ cup oil mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- For a charcoal grill Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
- For a gas grill Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place radicchio on grill. Cook (covered if using gas), flipping as needed, until radicchio is softened and lightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and drizzle with remaining oil mixture. Serve.
