A simple and seasonal recipe, the braised red chicory salad, also called in Italy “red radicchio”… .. but with some a little different ingredients : gomasio and squeezed orange juice. The flavor of toasted sesame enhances that of vegetables and orange juice, sweet and slightly acid, makes thr natural bitterness of the radicchio more pleasant … .. tastes that, together, make this an original winter dish of vegetables.
Ingredients for 4 people:
600 grams of red radicchio salad
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
50 ml of squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon of gomasio
Wash and dry the heads of radicchio, removing the outer leaves if necessary: on the basis of their thickness, cut lengthwise into 2 or 3 parts, forming slicesc thick about 3 inches.
In a large pan heat the oil and place the radicchio: cook over medium heat for a few minutes then turn the slices and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.
When the radicchio will be slightly soft add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water and continue cooking, always over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. After this time the radicchio will be a little dry: add the orange juice and cook for 2 minutes, turning the slices of salad on both sides. Sprinkle with gomasio when cooking will be completed and just before serving
NOTES:
The gomasio is a natural food of Japanese origin consisting of toasted sesame seeds and salt. It ‘s a good quality dressing used to flavor salads, meat, fish and vegetables being a good alternative to pure salt. You can reduce the amount of salt usually used for seasoning dishes because the set of salt and toasted sesame is very tasty. Sesame seeds are also very nutritious, rich in vitamins and minerals and have beneficial antioxidant properties
In natural food and macrobiotic stores you can r find the gomasio ready in bags or cans butyou can also make it easily at home.
The classic gomasio recipe provides for 7 tablespoons sesame only 1 tablespoon of salt:
You have to wash and dry the sesame and then toast it lightly in the oven or in a pan on low heat (being careful not to overdo it otherwise the flavor will be bitter) to mix with the salt (also lightly roasted to remove moisture), and shred all using an earthenware mortar and a pestle
Once ready, the homemade gomasio can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed glass jar for a week or so.
