Grilled radicchio with caper and anchovy sauce recipe
Smoky twist on classic Italian flavours is perfect to grill, drizzle and devour

I was on holiday on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria a few years ago, said Jesse Jenkins, when I was tasked with making lunch for a group of friends, most of whom were fantastic cooks. I had forgotten to add the radicchio to an already dressed salad, so I quickly grilled it in a ripping-hot pan and made a sauce by blending a whole jar of capers and a tin of anchovies. It ended up getting a lot of appreciation and became one of my favourite things to eat. The lesson is: sometimes stress-cooking pays off.
Ingredients (serves four as a side)
- 100g tin anchovy fillets in oil
- 30g capers, drained
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to coat the radicchio
- 1 head purple radicchio
- salt and pepper
- handful of parsley, roughly chopped, to serve
Method
- First, make the sauce. Put the anchovies and their oil, capers, the juice of half a lemon, and the olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little water to loosen it.
- Trim the radicchio stem, keeping the core intact, and remove any beaten- up outer leaves. Cut the radicchio into four pieces, then put it in a bowl with some olive oil to coat, add a good pinch of salt and mix well.
- Get a griddle pan or frying pan smoking hot over a high heat, then add the radicchio, cut side down, pressing it down firmly with your hand.
- Cook for 2 minutes, or until the radicchio is deeply charred.
- Turn the pieces and char them on the other cut side, then transfer to a plate. Squeeze the other half lemon over them while they steam.
- You can put the sauce on the plate with the radicchio on top or spoon it over the radicchio. Finish with the chopped parsley and a little fresh cracked black pepper.
Taken from Cooking with Vegetables by Jesse Jenkins, published by Bluebird at £28.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?
Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiry
The Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’