Roasted radicchio with fennel and gorgonzola.
My maternal grandparents' home in northern India had two rounded fireplaces joined by a single chimney. They were in the centre of the house, with one open to the living room and its partner facing the master bedroom.
They were the primary source of heat in colder months, and it felt like a ritual to light them daily. Their shared wall would warm, holding and radiating heat into the night even after the fires were extinguished.
I have vivid memories of toasting bread in front of their embers, turning the slice carefully till it was equally golden on both sides. Then I'd let the edges curl a bit, with the crust turning chestnut and maybe catching a bit of smoulder. I loved that toast.
And so, as we inch toward the chill of the year's end, my mind turns to crackling fires – and cooking with one.
I have a long-standing dream of a wood-fired oven in my backyard. I don't mean a grill or barbecue. I want a true oven – bulky and broad, with space for pizzas, yes, but also generous enough to accommodate boules, roasted meats and tins of vegetables.
I adore vegetables throughout the year, but wintry ones earn the most awe. It's easy enough to make an astounding salad when vegetables are tender and beguiling – but they are trickier to handle when heartier and more assertive. Winter vegetables require coaxing to reveal their potential and demand a certain patience in their care.
This dish of roasted radicchio and fennel makes use of only a small collection of ingredients, yet is one I find specifically satisfying. It's a classic combination – improved by a blistering singe. Since I don't have my dream wood-fired oven, I use the conventional one in my kitchen.
High heat frizzles and rumples the radicchio leaves, crisping their tips and softening their cores. The fennel gets caramel-touched and silken, still fragrantly licorice but balanced. Melting puddles of gorgonzola at once mollify everything with creaminess, then boost the plate with sharp-noted, inky ribbons. Reduced chicken stock makes a luxurious counterpoint, punctuated by plump golden raisins for a subtle, sweet note. Ground walnuts grant a needed crunch, but toasted breadcrumbs would serve just as nicely. A backdrop of supple polenta supports all.
If you happen to be lucky enough to have a wood-fired oven, give this a go in it. The polenta can be cooked at the mouth, pulling the pan to the front and giving it a stir periodically. Tuck the vegetables toward the back until flame-licked and smoky. Then, please invite me over.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 cup medium-grind polenta (not instant)
4 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1 head fennel
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 small heads radicchio
3 ounces gorgonzola, sliced, piccante or dolce, depending on preference
1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted and bashed in a mortar and pestle
Method
To start, presoak the polenta. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, stir the polenta with three cups of cold water. Cover and leave at room temperature for eight to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
Pour 2 1/2 cups of stock into the polenta. Whisk to combine, then set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, still whisking. Knock the heat back to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon periodically, until the polenta is cooked and creamy – about 30 minutes. Add water if the polenta ever seems dry. Season with salt.
As the polenta is cooking, boil the remaining 1 1/2 cups of stock in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once reduced to half its initial volume, tumble in the raisins. Bring the heat down to keep the liquid at a simmer, then continue to reduce the liquid to approximately a third of a cup. Season with black pepper.
While the polenta and stock are bubbling, trim the fennel, reserving its feathery fronds for later. Cut the bulb into half-inch wedges through the core. Toss lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange, cut sides down, on a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the hot oven for 15 minutes.
Remove dry or tough outer leaves from the radicchio. Leaving the core intact, quarter the heads lengthwise into wedges. Anoint with a sheen of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
When the fennel has cooked for 15 minutes, flip, then add the radicchio to the pan. Return to the oven for seven minutes. Turn the radicchio and roast until the fennel is tender and bronzed and the radicchio is toasted at its tips – seven to eight minutes more. Strew the reserved fronds across the tray, then tuck the gorgonzola on and around the vegetables. Pop under a hot broiler until the cheese is melted and everything begins to char – 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve either family-style or individually, mounding the polenta in the centre of a plate, then laying the roasted vegetables atop. Spoon the chicken stock around the dish, then shower with walnuts and the fennel fronds.