Citrus and Radicchio Salad with Dates and Smoked Almonds

Serves 4 to 6 | Total Time 45 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Brighten up your winter table with this colorful salad. In a reversal of what you might expect, we used sliced grapefruits and oranges as the salad’s base (citrus inevitably sinks to the bottom of a salad), topping them with sliced radicchio for an attractive presentation. To tame the bitterness of the grapefruit and prevent its ample juice from overwhelming, we treated the grapefruit (and the oranges) with sugar and salt and let them drain, reserving some of the juice for a vinaigrette. Salty smoked almonds added mellow richness, and dates contributed sweetness. We prefer to use navel oranges, tangelos, or Cara Caras here.
2 red grapefruits
3 oranges
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small head radicchio (6 ounces), halved, cored, and sliced thin
⅔ cup chopped pitted dates, divided
½ cup smoked almonds, chopped, divided
1. Cut away peel and pith from grapefruits and oranges. Cut each fruit in half from pole to pole, then slice crosswise ¼ inch thick. Transfer to bowl, toss with sugar and salt, and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Drain fruit in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Arrange fruit in even layer on serving platter and drizzle with oil. Whisk reserved citrus juice, shallot, and mustard together in medium bowl. Add radicchio, ⅓ cup dates, and ¼ cup almonds and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange radicchio mixture over fruit, leaving 1-inch border of fruit around edges. Sprinkle with remaining ⅓ cup dates and remaining ¼ cup almonds. Serve.