Name: Grilled Radicchio with Bacon Dressing
Ingredients: 1 large radicchio , quartered; ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil , divided; Kosher salt; Freshly-ground black pepper; 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 Tbsp rendered bacon fat; 4 slices cooked bacon , crumbled

Why it works: Vinegar and mustard are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,067 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

Grilled Radicchio with Bacon Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Toss radicchio with ¼ cup olive oil.
Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Grill and dress

Place on a medium grill and cook until marked on all sides and heated through.
Whisk together vinegar and mustard.
In another bowl, combine remaining olive oil and bacon fat.
Slowly stream oil mixture into vinegar mixture while whisking continuously.
Drizzle dressing over radicchio.
Sprinkle with bacon.
Serve warm.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

174Calories

3 gProtein

17 gFat

2 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Bacon	1 slice cooked (8g)	43
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Radicchio	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together14,067 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Olive + mustardtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,950 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Pepper + mustardtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,430 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Red wine + vinegartop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together575 recipes

Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together12,297 recipes

Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Radicchio: Its leaves char and soften on the grill, giving a bitter edge with a smoky, tender texture.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Carries seasoning onto the radicchio and, mixed into the dressing, adds richness and body.
Red wine vinegar: Adds acidity that cuts through the fat and balances the bitterness of the radicchio.
Dijon mustard: Helps emulsify the oil and vinegar so the dressing stays combined and smooth.
Bacon fat: Adds smoky, savory flavor to the dressing and carries it across the greens.
Bacon: Contributes salty, smoky crunch that contrasts with the soft grilled leaves.

The step that matters

Stream the oil into the vinegar while whisking. Adding the oil slowly while whisking breaks it into tiny droplets held in suspension by the mustard, so the dressing stays emulsified rather than separating into a greasy layer.

Swap the mustard

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, pepper, red wine, vinegar):

Tomatofits better
Capsicumfits better
Mustardthe original
Cucumberfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, pepper, red wine, vinegar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Grilled Radicchio with Bacon Dressing