A RADICCHIO SALAD from PRIME SEAFOOD PALACE

Ingrédients

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES

DRESSING

½ cup double-smoked bacon, cut into ¼-inch lardons

1 large shallot, minced

¼ cup beet juice

¼ cup honey

¼ cup water

¼ cup sherry vinegar

¼ cup pork fat

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 head radicchio, pulled apart (keep leaves in a cup shape and save the core)

½ cup shaved Gouda cheese (we use Thunder Oak)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Maldon salt

Instructions

This salad is based on the idea of a present that we serve at my restaurant in Toronto, Prime Seafood Palace. There is this beautiful tower of radicchio, and inside is a warm vinaigrette of rendered pork fat, honey, beet, and lardon that soaks into all the caves, All the lardon pools into these litle leaf baths of flavor. Oh, and the Thunder Oak Gouda is profound and really brings this all together. The bitterness of the radichio, the fatty pork vinaigrette, and honey and bet juice are just nutso. Then, as you start cutting into it, the whole salad turns into a beautiful mess, you'll see.

In a small killet, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is completely cooked. Then, add the shallots and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Ada the beet juice to deglaze the pan and bring the mixture to a boil for 4 minutes. Add the honey and water and continue boiling for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the vinegar and pork fat. Stir everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the dressing warm.

On a grill or grill pan, set over medium heat, grill the radicchio core until it is

tender, about 6 minutes. Set it aside.

Lay two stacks of 6 radicchio cups on a tray with the cups facing up. Fill each

cup with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Divide the cheese evenly among the cups, then stack the cups into a perfect stack. Season with olive oil and Maldon salt.