Semifreddo al Radicchio di Treviso

Un dessert con il Radicchio di Treviso
Dopo la visita a Lorenzo siam tornati in Provenza con un bel po di Radicchio Tardivo e cosi ieri sera abbiamo invitato degli amici per una cena all’insegna del Radicchio dall’inizio alla fine ( con doppio dessert ...)
Menu della serata :
Spritz con crostini al guanciale
Risotto al Radicchio
Millefoglie di zucca ,radicchio e capretto " confit"
Insalata di tre radicchi ( Verona rosa ,Treviso e Castelfranco)
Semifreddo di Radicchio
Frittelle al Radicchio

La ricetta del semifreddo l'ho trovata qui anche se il libro é ormai difficile da reperire .Ho fatto alcune variazioni al’’originale e questa é la mia versione: é un dessert delicato e leggero, la dolcezza soave della base si sposa con l’amaro appena percettibile del Radicchio e la croccantezza del cioccolato.
Ingredienti :
150 gr di Radicchio Tardivo di Treviso( nell’originale era il Castelfranco )
2 albumi
130 gr di zucchero
20 gr d'acqua
250 gr di panna fresca
50 gr di cioccolato fondente al 70% ( io avevo ancora un po di quello di Modica )
Un pizzico di sale
Un pizzico di Pepe Lungo pestato al mortaio
Tagliate il radicchio in piccoli pezzi e fatelo brasare in una padella con 20 gr di zucchero fino a che sarà ben asciutto. Lasciate raffreddare . In un pentolino mettete il restante zucchero con 20 gr d’acqua ,fate bollire fino alla temperatura di 121° ( vi servirà un termometro ) nel frattempo montate i albumi a neve ben ferma con il pizzico di sale (data la quantità esigua sconsiglio la planetaria , meglio il normale frullino elettrico ) .Una volta montati agggiungete a filo lo sciroppo bollente( calcolare bene i tempi ...) e continuare a montare fino a raffreddamento .
Otterrete la cosidetta  Meringa Italiana (nella ricetta originale erano solo bianchi montati con lo zucchero ma non amo usare le uova crude nei dessert ). A questo punto incorporate alla meringa il radicchio , il cioccolato a scaglie il pepe e la panna montata ben soda ,amalgate bene il tutto con delicatezza per non smontare , versatela preparazione in stampini di silicone da porzione ( otterrete circa 8 porzioni ) e mettete nel congelatore .

Lo sciroppo di Radicchio
200 gr di zucchero
60 gr d’acqua
50 gr di Radicchio
Mettete tutti gli ingredienti nel pentolino , fate andare a fuoco non troppo forte fino ad avere uno sciroppo abbastanza denso .Lasciate raffreddare
Per servire : sformate il semifreddo su un piatto da dessert e versate attorno e sopra un po di sciroppo .

Il Radicchio Tardivo di Treviso or : Lorenzo's Radicchio

Radicchio has been around for quite some time: Pliny mentions the marvelous red-lined lettuces of the Veneto region in his Naturalis Historia, noting that in addition to being tasty they're good for insomnia and purifying the blood; he also says it was the Egyptians who bred radicchio from its more wild ancestor, chicory. In the Middle Ages it was especially popular among monks, who welcomed anything that would add zest and flavor to the simple, predominately vegetarian diets proscribed by their orders. Not that the plant was limited to monastic kitchens; it also figured prominently on the tables of nobles, both cooked and raw: In 1537 Pietro Aretino advised a friend who had a garden to plant it, saying he much preferred it to "aroma-free lettuce and endive."
While tasty, this radicchio isn't the radicchio rosso we know today: the modern radicchio with its rich wine-red white-ribbed leaves was developed in the 1860s by Francesco Van Den Borre, a Belgian agronomist who applied the techniques used to whiten Belgian endive to the plants grown around Treviso. The process, which is called imbianchimento, is quite involved: the plants are harvested in late fall, their outer leaves are trimmed and discarded, they're packed into wire mesh baskets, and they're stood for several days in darkened sheds with their roots bathed in steadily circulating spring water that emerges from the ground at a temperature of about 15 C (60F). As they bathe the leaves of the hearts of the radicchio plants take on the pronounced wine-red color that distinguishes them (the deeper the red the more pleasingly bitter the plant). At this point the farmer unties the bunches, strips away the outer leaves and, trims the root (the tender part that's just below ground level is tasty), and sends the radicchio to the market.
I found this text here, it’s very interesting and you can find recipes also.

So, this is a short history of Radicchio Tardivo di Treviso a wonderful vegetable that grows in the region of Venice. Last week we were in Italy and we went to see my friend Lorenzo who’s a farmer producing Organic Radicchio and we had the chance to arrive on Monday, that’s the day they are “cleaning” Radicchio before to send it to be sold.

 We had the feeling to enter into another time, another century maybe: when Radicchio comes to our tables we only see a marvelous edible flower but we don’t know anything about the great work that’s beside it . I took some photos so that everybody can see the hard work and the love & passion of these men .

The Radicchio is harvested

The Harvest

Radicchio is stocked in the basket & into spring water  

Radicchio has grown up in the darkness and now is ready to be cleaned

Cleaning up : a big work!

 We had really good time learning so much about the history of Radicchio, drinking hot red spiced wine, talking with these men so simple and so wise .
Lorenzo doesn’t have a website but if you want to buy his Radicchio I’ll be glad to give you his contacts, just ask me, I know he can deliver in Europe also, in some cases.

Hot spiced wine

The final result : amazing !!!

And as a Radicchio of such quality lasts about  2 weeks in the frigidaire ,we bought 5 Kilos that we took with us in Goult , so ...

 we had it like this

 and with white polenta

Stewed Radicchio with cheese

For 4 servings : 4 plants of radicchio roughly chopped  , 1 scallion , 2 spoons of extra-virgin olive oil ,  pinch of salt , freshly ground white pepper ( malabar ) 1 tablespon of Cognac , 200 gr of  Cheese chopped ( I used Asiago cheese from Italy but you can use also a good Gruyére or a  Comté )

Cut the scallion very fine , put in a pan with the oil and swimmer gently , add the salt , stir frequently ,after about 10 minutes add the cognac , let the alchool evaporate , then put the Radicchio chopped  and cook while stirring , till it's softened and has changed his colour from red to a light brown ( you'll need 3/4 minutes ) then cover the Radicchio with the cheese , put a lid ,turn off the fire and wait till the cheese has melted  . Serve immediatedly with roasted polenta ( just cut cold polenta in slices and put on a grill-pan till roasted , if you don't find the white one yu can use thee yellow )