A Bitter-Sweet Valentine's Day: published 02/10/2011

As arbitrary as the observance of Valentine’s Day is associated with Chauncer’s Parliament of Foules, so too is an amount of bitterness I have in participating in the holiday for the sake of another’s liking. I should not allow something so silly to consume me but with that said, in any relationship whether amorous or platonic, there must be concessions. I will be sweet to my lover by cooking us a Valentine’s Day dinner but get my own satisfaction by using bitter ingredients in the cache.

Of the five perceivable taste sensations, the taste of bitter is interesting to me because, as well as producing a certain satisfaction to some people’s taste buds as is, in some cases it can be transformed into the sweet by the application of certain cooking methods. Onions are caramelized by slowly sautéing over low heat, eggplant’s bitterness is softened by soaking it in milk and radicchio is transformed to a marvelous bitter-sweet side after is has been slowly roasted.

Radicchio is one of my favorite bitter vegetables for its brilliant color. I like it too because it’s another vegetable that is underused simply because people don’t know what to do with it, which seems to be a recurring theme in these columns. In the recipe included, the radicchio will lend a beautiful red-purple color to the dish that will look nice for the Valentine’s Day theme. Radicchio can also be halved and grilled followed up with a sprinkle of Gorgonzola or braised in chicken stock as a simple addition to a weeknight dinner.

Whatever vegetable you may be confronting in the market, whether bitter and foreign or sweet and familiar, be open to experimentation. It is a good way to increase your diet and overall kitchen know how. So now I take the route of the eggplant, fixing myself a hot bath with a half gallon of milk and some rose petals. Hopefully it will soften the skin and my otherwise alkaline disposition before it is time to cook dinner for my sweetie.

Recipe:
Grapefruit and Miso glazed salmon on Jasmine-tea rice with roasted radicchio:

The recipe here will serve six, so unless you’re having guests over for Valentines Day reduce the fish and radicchio portion of the recipe. The rice recipe is difficult to reduce with respect to the liquid volume so plan on having left overs to turn into sticky rice, rice balls or whatever your bitter heart desires. The radicchio can be baked on the lower third of the oven and can stay in while broiling the fish to keep hot. The tannins in the Jasmine tea present a slightly bitter flavor also, that is nicely offset by the addition of sweetened coconut milk.

For the Radicchio:
Quarter three large heads of radicchio, leaving the base intact, and place into a bowl of cold salted water for 30 minutes.
Dry off the radicchio and toss the quarters in olive oil.
Gently separate the leaves and sprinkle shredded mozzarella in between.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar on and in the crevices of the radicchio quarters.
Bake for 30 minutes at 375° (or until otherwise softened).

For the Fish:
Whisk together:
1/3 c. yellow miso (red works too)
2 Tb grapefruit juice
1 Tb mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 Tsp. soy sauce
1 Tsp dark brown sugar
1 Tsp grapefruit zest

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and preheat the broiler.
Coat the baking sheet with some olive oil and place six 6 oz. salmon filets on the sheet, skin side down leaving room between the filets.

Paint the miso mixture evenly onto the tops of all fish filets. Place the fish 6” under the broiler. Allow the fish to broil undil the tops have become golden and caramelized (about 5 minutes). Loosely cover the fish with foil and continue to broil an additional 5 minutes until cooked through.

For the Rice:

Bring to a boil 1 ¾ c. water. Steap a jasmine tea bag in the boiling water for three minutes. Remove the bag, reduce water to a simmer and add 1 ¼ c. jasmine or long grain rice. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is tender (about 15 minutes). Allow the rice to rest for an additional 15 minutes. Add in ¼ sweetened coconut milk and fluff with a fork.


Balsamic vinegar reduction:
In a small sauté pan reduce ½ c. balsamic vinegar and 2 Tb sugar to ¼ c.

Be sure to warm your plates in the oven for a few minutes. Serve the salmon on top of the rice with the radicchio wedges to the side. Finish off the plate with a drizzled of balsamic vinegar reduction.