Citrus + bitter leaf salad with ricotta
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
For the brine
- 200ml boiled, slightly cooled water
- 1 tsp Pure Sea Salt in a Finer Flake
For the salad
- 250g ricotta
- 1 head purple radicchio
- 1 head endive
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
To serve
- Handful of pomegranate seeds
- 1 orange, skin and pith removed and flesh cut into wedges
- Thyme sprigs (optional)
This salad of grown-up flavours is bright and fresh and one we love to eat when blood oranges are in season. This recipe involves brining both the bitter leaves and the citrus, making for a dish that is sweet, salty and bitter, tempered by the creamy ricotta.It’s a special starter or can be made into a more substantial meal with class crusty bread and warmed-through grains served alongside.
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 200c.
- Lay a cheesecloth or clean tea towel over a colander suspended over a bowl. Drain the ricotta in the centre of the cloth for at least an hour to concentrate the flavour and remove as much of the liquid as possible while you prepare the rest.
- Combine the water and salt for the brine together in a jug and stir until the salt has dissolved. Cut the radicchio into six wedges lengthways through the root and the endive into four wedges through the root.
- Arrange the radicchio and endive wedges together in a container (about 20 x 30cm/8 x 12in) just large enough to hold them snugly in an even layer and pour over half of the brine. Using a very sharp knife, slice the orange and lemon into 2–4mm/1/16–1/6 in rounds, discarding the seeds and the tops and tails of the fruit so only the fleshy part is in rounds. Place the orange and lemon slices together in a medium bowl and cover with the remaining brine. Place a weight, such as a clean bowl or plate on top of the oranges to weigh them down. Leave the leaves and citrus for 15 minutes, turning the bitter leaves halfway through.
- Drain the leaves and oranges and pat dry. Heat a quarter of the butter in a 28cm/11in ovenproof saut. pan over a medium heat until melted. Add the bitter leaf wedges to the pan on one cut side. They should all nestle in snugly. Fry, without disturbing for 3 minutes, then carefully turn them over so that the other cut side is on the base of the pan. Dot over a quarter more of the butter so the leaves don’t burn and cook for another 3 minutes. Using a spatula, lift onto a clean tray and set aside while you cook the citrus. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan and add the citrus slices in an even layer so there’s as little overlap as possible. Sprinkle over the sugar and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes, before turning over and cooking for another 5–7 minutes until all the slices are sticky and translucent. Lift onto a plate and turn off the hob.
- Return the leaves to the pan, fanning each wedge out so that they cover the base and sprinkle over the vinegar. Nestle the caramelised citrus among the wedges so they don’t catch and burn in the oven (which they will do if they are all on top). Put the whole ricotta into the centre of the pan and grate or sprinkle over the nutmeg. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the ricotta is wobbly, then dot over the remaining fresh orange, pomegranate seeds and thyme, if you like, and serve while still warm.
RECIPE: From our book Sea Salt: A perfectly seasoned cookbook.
