Radicchio Salad with Bacon & Apricot Vinaigrette
a simple yet flavorful radicchio salad with crispy bacon, roasted hazelnuts, radishes, crumbled blue cheese, and a sweet & tangy apricot vinaigrette
servings: 4
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small head of radicchio (approximately ¾ lb)
- ½ lb bacon
- ¼ cup hazelnuts
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- ¼ cup diced dried turkish apricots
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandolin
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut the radicchio in half lengthwise. Trim the ends, remove the core, and slice the radicchio into ½” strips. Submerge the radicchio in a bowl of ice water. Let soak for 30 minutes (this removes some bitterness).
- Meanwhile, lay the bacon in an even layer onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- As the bacon cooks, add the hazelnuts to a small oven-proof skillet. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until deeply golden. Let them cool slightly. Place them in the center of a kitchen towel, wrap them up, and use the towel to rub off the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
- For the vinaigrette, add the white wine vinegar, apricot jam, dijon mustard, and liquid bacon fat to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly stream in the oil, whisking continuously. Stir in the dried apricots. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Drain the radicchio and get it as dry as possible (you can pat it dry with paper towels, spin it in a salad spinner, or if you have time, allow it to air dry).
- In a mixing bowl, add the radicchio, radishes, and about ¾ of the vinaigrette. Toss well to combine. Season with an extra pinch of salt. Plate the salad on a large serving plate. Top with the bacon, hazelnuts, blue cheese, and remaining vinaigrette.