This wonderful combination of sweet, salty and bitter flavours makes a rich and delicious lunch for a cold day. You will find the radicchio darkens considerably when cooked, but don’t worry, it tastes fantastic.
Serves 4
500g shallots or baby onions
200g thick-cut streaky bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
A couple of sprigs of thyme (optional)
1 radicchio
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas 5. Peel and halve the shallots or onions, or quarter them if large. Cut each bacon rasher into 4 or 5 pieces. Put the shallots in a large roasting tray with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the thyme if using, and some salt and pepper. Toss well and roast for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the radicchio into 6 or 8 wedges, keeping the stalk end intact. In a large bowl, toss the radicchio wedges with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and some salt and pepper. Add the bacon and radicchio to the shallots. Roast for a further 25–30 minutes, until the radicchio is soft and wilted and the bacon and shallots are nicely caramelised, giving it a stir about halfway through.
Serve hot, with plenty of bread for mopping up the juices.
PLUS ONE If you want to be a little bit greedy (and I often do), pour a good trickle of double cream over the finished dish and flash it under a hot grill for a few minutes until bubbling.
SWAPS If radicchio is hard to come by, a couple of heads of chicory will do equally well. Cut them in half, rather than into wedges.