Grilled radicchio with caper and anchovy sauce recipe

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.

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