Treviso and Radish Salad with Walnut Anchovy Dressing

A robust green demands an aggressive dressing. Use any other kind of radicchio in place of or in tandem with the Treviso. All the salad accoutrements aside, the dressing is simple: garlic, anchovies, toasted walnuts, olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The result is a salty, nutty, savoury, unstoppable force. When normally all I can stomach is a fraction of a plate of greens, I ate an entire dinner-sized portion of them. This dressing can also play sidekick as a swoop of purée with roasted veggies, a chunk of fish, a blah chicken breast, or the entire contents of a leftover bag of celery ("weeknight crudite"). And if you overestimate your own salad-eating capabilities, the leftover completely-dressed salad is totally fine tomorrow.

¾ cup walnuts
2 fillets anchovies, oil packed, drained, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely grated
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon zest, finely grated
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 small heads Treviso radicchio, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh parsley leaves with tender stems

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes; let cool.

Pulse anchovies, garlic, oil, and ½ cup walnuts in a food processor to a coarse purée. Stir in vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Toss radicchio, celery, radishes, and parsley in a large bowl with half of the dressing, then drizzle remaining dressing over. Crush remaining walnuts and serve salad topped with walnuts.

Makes 4 servings.