Conscious Choice: Rethinking Radishes

January 2001 | Cooking with the Seasons

Rethinking Radishes

by Terra Brockman

"It insults radishes, the most ancient of appetizers, to chop them up and bury them in a salad." —British food writer Jane Grigson

A new year beckons us to try new things, so let’s start with the lowly radish. Traditionally, radishes have been consigned to relishes and salads. But this crunchy root with its snappy flavor is perfect all by itself, lightly sautéed, or cooked in soups, stir-fries, and main dishes. This month we’ll give you various ways to compliment, not insult, the venerable radish. But first...

A Radish Primer

The prevailing wisdom is that radishes were first grown domestically in western China. Certainly they have been cultivated there for thousands of years. To this day, radishes, particularly marinated ones, are an important part of many Asian cuisines.

Radishes were also enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. So highly did the Greeks esteem certain root vegetables that small replicas, votive offerings, were dedicated to Apollo, in his temple at Delphi: the turnips were made of lead, the beets of silver, the radishes of gold.

Botanically, all radishes are members of the vast crucifer family. As a practical matter, radishes can be grouped into two general categories, those that are smaller, grow quickly and are generally eaten raw (often called spring radishes), and the winter radishes, which require a longer growing season, are much larger, store well, and are frequently cooked.

Winter Radishes

The so-called winter radishes are the original radishes, valued not only for their taste, but for the fact that they keep well all winter long. Winter radishes include the large white daikon, the turnip-shaped rose-heart radish, the black radish, the German beer radish, and the salad rose radish. Feel free to substitute any type in the following recipes.

Rose-Heart Radishes are a revelation and an inspiration to any cook who ever wanted to be an artist. From a distance they look like medium sized turnips. Upon closer inspection, you see that the white exterior has moss-green shoulders and a touch of pink near the root. Slice one open and stand back! The deep mauve or fuschia interior is breathtaking. The next step is to slice another lengthwise (assuming the first was crosswise). The two slices will each have that brilliant interior, but each has its own stunning pattern. After this, let your creativity take you where it will.

Rose-heart radishes are also called Misato or Xin Li Mei. According to Joy Larkcom, they are eaten as a fruit in northern China, and they are wonderful unadorned, with the interior being sweeter and the portion near the skin hotter. When cooked, they become sweet and delicious. They are excellent chunked into soups and stews. They also may be roasted with other winter roots.

Rose-Heart Radish Salad

2-3 large radishes, peeled and sliced paper thin
1/4 cup coarse salt
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place radish slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Cover with a heavy plate and refrigerate overnight.

2. Drain off all the liquid and wash in cold water in a colander. The slices will be transparent and tender.

3. Prepare a dressing by combining the oil, wine vinegar, onion, salt and pepper, and pour over the radishes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Black radishes are sooty black on the outside and pure white within. The rock-hard globe grows to the size of a baseball. The crisp white flesh highlights the black skin when sliced, leading to all sorts of fanciful monochromatic creations. Just grab a sharp paring knife or a vegetable peeler and carve or slice strips, stripes, and curlicues.

The black radish is almost as strong as horseradish. It is popular in much of Asia and Europe. In certain eastern European Jewish communities, I am told, they make a delicious radish preserves called Eingemachts with grated radish cooked in honey or sugar and flavored with ginger.

Black radishes are good stir-fried or in soups. Raw, they should be salted to tame their bite. The following dish also mellows the bite of the radish. It is a variation on a traditional creamed kohlrabi dish from Hungary.

Creamed Black Radishes

1 pound small black radishes
1 quart water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and/or freshly grated nutmeg to taste

1. Peel the radishes (leave a few strips of black if you like) and then quarter them.

2. Put the salt and water in a saucepan and add the radishes. Boil until tender, about twenty minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and set the radishes aside.

3. Heat butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat until golden, about two minutes.

4. In another saucepan, heat up a half cup of the cooking liquid, sugar, cream, and milk. Add to the flour mixture and whisk until boiling. Simmer two minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Place cooked radishes in the cream and simmer another two minutes. Season to taste.

Upon first glance, everyone assumes the German beer radish, a large conical root, is a turnip. But it is a peppery, turnip-shaped radish. I have not yet found out why it is called "German beer" but I did find a German radish recipe dating way back to 1581:

Oder nim ein Rettich / schneidt in klein und duenn / oder fein Wirflicht / mach in mit Essig / Oel und Salz ab / so ist es auch gut. (Or "Take a radish/ cut in small and thin/ or fine dices/ make it with vinegar/ oil and salt/ so it is good too.") My version goes something like this, but I also highly recommend making homemade mayonnaise and dipping slices in that.

German Beer Radish Salad

1 pound German beer radishes
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup wine vinegar
Salt to taste

1. Peel the radish. Slice fine (or cut into small cubes). Dress with oil, vinegar, and salt.

2. Let stand fifteen minutes or more before serving.

Daikon are a Japanese radish with a crisp, juicy, white flesh. They have a medium bite when raw, but are very mellow when cooked. The name (dai = large or great; kon = root) reveals that this is a large radish — but the bigger the radish, the more you can do with it. Raw daikon can be grated, slivered, diced, or sliced to add its crunch and zip to relishes and salads. For salads, thin-sliced daikon is especially good with carrot and sesame (seeds and/or oil). Stir-fried daikon slices, strips, or cubes are turnipy-sweet. Chunks of daikon boiled briefly in miso or another broth make a mild and delicious soup.

Sautéed Daikon

1 pound daikon
1-2 Tablespoons butter or canola or peanut oil
Dash of salt and/or sugar
2 Tablespoons minced parsley, chives, or dill

1. Scrub the daikon. There is no need to peel it if it is fresh. Slice into eighth-inch slices — either whole circles, half-circles, or on the diagonal.

2. Heat a wok or heavy pan and add the oil. When oil is hot, add the daikon and stir-fry a minute or two. Add the sugar and salt to taste. Continue to stir-fry over medium-high until radishes are crisp-tender, about five minutes. Remove from heat, toss with herbs, and serve.

Salad Rose is a long red radish that looks like a small red daikon. It is usually milder than a daikon, but can be used similarly. It is especially good in soups or stews, where chunks or slices of it will sweeten the whole pot while absorbing the flavorful cooking liquid. It is best to add them in the last five to fifteen minutes of preparation so as not to overcook them.

Ginger, Carrot, and Radish Salad

(Adapted from Cooking with Caprial, by Caprial Pence)

1 large daikon or 4 salad rose radishes, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
3 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon Asian chili sauce
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Soy sauce to taste

1. Place julienned radishes and carrots in a bowl and toss.

2. For the dressing, place vinegar, ginger, garlic, chili sauce, and cilantro in a small bowl and mix well. Whisk in oil until well blended. Season with soy sauce.

3. Pour dressing over radish mixture and marinate thirty minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Terra Brockman is the director of The Land Connection Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving farmland and promoting small-scale, diversified, organic agriculture in Illinois. Visit www.thelandconnection.org or call 309-965-2407 to learn how to get involved.

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