To cut radicchio for a winter salad, halve the head through the core, cut out the wedge of white core, lay each half flat and slice across it into ribbons a quarter inch wide. To cut Belgian endive, trim a thin slice off the root end and either peel the leaves off whole, trimming the base again as they stop releasing, or slice the head across into rounds. Crisp both in ice water, dry them well, and pair them with something sweet, salty or rich to balance their bitterness.
Radicchio and endive are cold-weather greens. They are firm, crunchy and bitter in a way that wakes up a winter table full of roasts and potatoes.
Two chicories, two shapes
Both are cultivated forms of chicory, Cichorium intybus, and both are bitter. The shapes differ, and so does the knife work.
Radicchio grows as a dense head of deep red leaves with white ribs. The round Chioggia type is the one most American markets carry. Treviso is long and tapered, like a red romaine, with more pronounced white veins. Castelfranco, cream-colored with red speckles, is milder and sweeter than the others.
Belgian endive is a small, tight, spindle-shaped head of pale leaves, white with yellow tips. Its color comes from how it is grown: the roots are forced in darkness, and without light the leaves stay pale instead of turning green.
Neither should be confused with curly endive or escarole, which are loose, leafy greens cut like lettuce.
Choose and store them
Choose radicchio that is heavy for its size, with firm, glossy leaves and no brown edges. Choose endive that is tight and pale, with yellow tips. Green on the tips means the endive has been exposed to light.
Store both in the refrigerator, wrapped in a damp towel inside a bag. Keep endive out of the light. Both last about a week.
How to cut radicchio
Ribbons for salad
- Remove the outer leaves. Peel off any wilted or damaged ones.
- Halve through the core. Stand the head on its root end and cut straight down.
- Cut out the core. Lay each half cut side down. Make two angled cuts on either side of the white core at the base and lift out the wedge.
- Slice across. With the half lying flat, slice across it into ribbons, about a quarter inch wide for salad, thinner for a slaw.
- Separate the ribbons with your fingers.
Wedges for roasting and grilling
Halve the head through the core, then cut each half into two or three wedges, keeping a bit of the core in each wedge so the leaves stay together. Brush with olive oil and roast or grill until wilted at the edges and charred in places. Heat mellows radicchio’s bitterness noticeably.
Treviso
Cut a long Treviso head lengthwise into halves or quarters through the root, which holds the leaves together. Grill or braise the quarters, or slice them crosswise into ribbons for salad.
How to cut Belgian endive
Whole leaves
Whole leaves are boat-shaped. They make good scoops for dips or small bites on a party platter.
- Trim the root. Cut a thin slice off the base.
- Peel the leaves. Pull off the outer leaves one by one. They come away cleanly until you reach the leaves still attached at the base.
- Trim again. Cut another thin slice off the base to release the next layer. Repeat until you reach the small, tight center, which you can slice into the salad.
Rounds or slivers
- Trim the root and remove any damaged outer leaves.
- Halve lengthwise, then cut out the small cone of core at the base with the tip of your knife. The core is denser and more bitter.
- Slice across the halves into half-inch pieces for salad, or lengthwise into thin slivers for a slaw.
Endive browns at the cut edges after a while. Cut it close to serving, or toss the pieces with a little lemon juice.
Crisp and dry
Put the cut ribbons and leaves in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. They turn crisp and cold. Lift them out and spin them dry, or roll them in a clean towel.
Dry leaves matter. Water clinging to the greens dilutes the dressing and makes the salad limp.
Balance the bitterness
Bitterness is the point, but it needs company.
- Sweet. Orange or grapefruit segments, sliced pear or apple, dates, a little honey in the dressing.
- Salty. Shaved Parmesan or pecorino, crumbled blue cheese, anchovy in the dressing.
- Rich. Toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, a creamy dressing, a soft-boiled egg.
- Acid. A sharp vinaigrette with lemon or sherry vinegar.
A simple winter salad: radicchio ribbons and endive slices, segments of blood orange, shaved Parmesan and toasted walnuts, dressed with olive oil, lemon, salt and a little honey. Supreming an orange gives you clean segments with no membrane, and thin slices of fennel add sweetness and anise.
For a party, fill whole endive leaves with a spoonful of soft goat cheese, a sliver of pear and a walnut, and arrange them on a platter or a winter citrus board.
Keep the board clean
Radicchio’s red juice tints fingertips and anything it sits on for long. Wipe the board as soon as you finish cutting, wash it with warm soapy water, and dry it on edge.
A board with room helps when you are cutting several heads for a crowd. The WONAMU. bamboo cutting board is 12 by 9 inches, enough for a halved radicchio and a pile of endive leaves side by side, with a perimeter juice groove for the water that clings to washed greens.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the core in radicchio ribbons. It is tough and very bitter.
- Cutting endive hours ahead. The cut edges brown.
- Skipping the ice water. The greens are crisper and cleaner tasting after it.
- Dressing wet leaves. The dressing slides off.
- Serving bitter greens alone. Add something sweet, salty or rich.
The short version
Halve radicchio through the core, cut out the white core wedge, and slice the halves across into quarter-inch ribbons. For roasting, cut wedges that keep a little core. Trim the base of endive and peel the leaves off whole, trimming as you go, or halve it, remove the small core, and slice it.
Crisp both in ice water, dry them well, and pair them with citrus, cheese, nuts and a sharp dressing.
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WONAMU. makes a bamboo cutting board designed for daily prep, 12 × 9 inches, bamboo, with a perimeter juice groove. Available on Amazon.
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