Name: Grilled Radicchio
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 heads radicchio (10 ounces each), quartered; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; Balsamic vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

Radicchio is popular in Italy, where it's often cooked and served as an accompaniment to meat or fish. When grilled, the purple leaves become lightly crisp and smoky-tasting. To keep the radicchio from falling apart on the grill, we cut it through the core into thick wedges. While we wanted char on our radicchio leaves, we didn't want to burn them; brushing them with a liberal amount of olive oil added flavor and richness and prevented burning.

Before You Begin

Turning the wedges during cooking ensures that all sides, including the rounded one, spend time facing the fire.

Instructions

Place radicchio on rimmed baking sheet, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill radicchio over medium-hot fire (covered if using gas), turning every 1½ minutes, until edges are browned and wilted but centers are still slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer radicchio to serving dish, drizzle with vinegar, and serve.