Radicchio wedge salad with orange fennel vinaigrette

I've developed a minor obsession with radicchio over the last couple years. With its bitterness, crunch, pepperiness, silky outer leaves, and brilliant color, it is a fun and bold ingredient to work with. The fun in working with unique and big flavors like radicchio is in making the finding the right combination of things to pare it with. For this recipe, grilling radicchio to make the bitterness stand out even more is a fun trick that I've learned. Then I tame it with sweet tartness of the dressing in this recipe, along with the big velvety flavor of blue cheese. The crunch of nuts and optional crunchy and brightly flavored vegetables adds additional flavor and textural dimensions. While I'm not a fan of a traditional wedge salad, this super unique take on it does the trick every time. If I owned a restaurant, this would undoubtedly be my house salad (which would cost a tidy sum due to the outrageous cost of radicchio). 

Prep time: 1 cocktail

Fennel seed, orange, and dijon vinaigrette
1 tsp whole fennel seeds, toasted a bit and lightly ground up with a mortar and pestle
1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 tsp grated shallot, using a microplane or the finest side of a box grater
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 TBSP white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp poppy seeds (optional)

Salad base
1 large head radicchio (~6+ inches in diamater) or a couple smaller heads
2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
Toasted hazelnuts, pine nuts, or pistachios, chopped up a bit

Optional salad additions
Prepared farro or Israeli couscous (chilled and seasoned with salt and pepper) or delicate lettuce like bibb lettuce
Ribbons of celery, made with a vegetable peeler
Thinly sliced radish
Roasted, diced beets

Preheat a grill to a medium setting or a frying pan with a little canola or avacado oil on medium high to high heat. Quarter the radicchio so that you cut through the stem core, which prevents the leaves from separating and falling off the head. If grilling, brush the radicchio with some oil. Add the radicchio and char the quarters on each of their three sides, getting them a fairly well blackened, but not totally burned (this is maybe 2-6 minutes per side). Remove from heat and transfer to a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, until cold.

While radicchio is cooking (or while it cools), whisk together all dressing ingredients. 

Once the radicchio has chilled, arrange your salad. Start with a bed of lettuce, couscous, or farro, if you're using any of these. Then top with the radicchio (or just start with the radicchio on fresh plates, if not using a base). Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles. Add any of the other salad additions that you might want (if any). Sprinkle the nuts on top and drizzle with dressing.

Enjoy!