Radicchio salad with lemon anchovy dressing and pecan breadcrumbs

Winter lettuces like radicchio, treviso or chicory are the perfect partner for this assertive lemony dressing. The crisp pecan and sourdough breadcrumbs tie it together for a refreshing salad, full of texture and taste.

Radicchio salad with lemon anchovy dressing and pecan breadcrumbs

serves 4

Ingredients

Chicory salad with anchovy lemon dressing and walnut breadcrumbs

serves 2 prep 10 minutes cook 10 minutes

half a small head of radicchio lettuce, ripped into pieces

1 head of white chicory

half heart of celery, thinly sliced including leaves

50g parmesan  shaved

Breadcrumbs

2  slices sourdough bread blitzed into crumbs

2 tbsps finely chopped pecans

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Dressing

2 Spanish or Italian anchovies rinsed

1 clove garlic

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

juice of two small lemons

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan.  Toss the breadcrumbs and walnuts with the oil on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 5 minutes or until crispy.  Remove and set aside. 

2. Slice the chicory in half and remove the core.  Separate the leaves and place them into a bowl of ice water. Add the radicchio and celery. Chill until serving the salad to crisp the leaves.  

3. Using a large stone mortar and pestle, add the anchovy filets and garlic and pound them into a paste. Add the lemon juice,  vinegar, olive oil and pepper. Taste if any salt or extra lemon is needed.  Alternatively, hand chop the anchovies and garlic until they are a smooth paste and then mix in a bowl with the other ingredients.

4. Toss salad with dressing right before serving.  Use a carrot peeler to shave the parmesan over.  Sprinkle the crumbs in and grind some black pepper over. Serve immediately.