Winter Chicories

Know this

Radicchio and Belgian endive are the same family wearing different coats. Chioggia radicchio is the round wine-red head, Treviso the long one, and Belgian endive is grown in the dark on purpose, which is why it is pale and why it costs what it does. Buy tight, heavy heads with crisp leaves and a cut base that is white, not brown; the browning starts the day it was cut and tells you how long it has been sitting. Chef secret: bitterness has four enemies and you only need two of them. Salt, fat, sugar and heat. Soak raw leaves in ice water for twenty minutes and half the bite walks away; add a sharp dressing and some blue cheese and the rest becomes the point.

Cook

Cut radicchio into wedges, oil them, and put them on a hot grill or under the broiler until the edges char. Braise endive whole in butter and a splash of orange juice until it goes soft and sweet. Raw, either one wants something fatty and something sweet in the bowl with it.

Season

November through March. It is the thing that cuts through a month of rich holiday food.

Best pairings

Blue cheese · Walnut · Pear · Balsamic · Pancetta · Orange

Also worth trying: anchovy, honey, Gorgonzola, brown butter, apple, hazelnut.

Recommended wine