13th
Sweet and Sour Quick-Pickled Radishes
My dear friend Tamara, who belongs to the Urban Patchwork CSA, knows that I love pickles something fierce. She shares my love for things marinated in acidic loveliness, and has passed along this great-looking recipe for pickled radishes that I intend to try ASAP. I’m not a giant fan of raw radishes in general, so I’ve been loathe to put them on my salad, where they’re like pretty, pungent little landmines. Instead, I will be trying these! Tamara warns that pickled radishes smell pretty heinous, but notes that they are extremely delicious to snack on with cocktails. I’m thinking bloody marys, myself. This from Miz T, followed by quantity extrapolations for the smallest amount of pickled radishes ever.
This weekend, after thinking I had eaten radishes every conceivable way, I found a new method, and quick pickled them. This is a modification of Jack Bishop’s “Sweet and Sour Radishes” from his cookbook Vegetables Every Day:
20 medium radishes, scrubbed and trimmed
1 t kosher salt
1/2 c rice vinegar
3 T sugar
2 t toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small dried chile pepper, mild variety
1. Cut trimmed radishes into 1/4 inch thick circles. Toss the radishes and salt in a colander and set aside to drain, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. At least 1/4 cup of salty juices should drain out, so place the colander over the sink or on a plate.
2. Bring the vinegar, garlic, sugar and chile to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. Whisk in sesame oil.
3. Transfer radishes to a bowl and pour vinegar mix over. Marinate, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Drain if desired (less messy to eat) and serve.
Because we mercifully received only 6 small (and absolutely adorable) radishes with our share, I am doing what amounts to a 1/8 - 1/5 recipe, and boiling the marinade in a measuring cup in the microwave for 20 seconds:
- 6 small radishes, scrubbed and trimmed
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 T rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
- a tiny clove garlic, crushed
- pinch dried chile flakes
These turned out amazing, with a sweet, spicy, kimchee-esque flavor. I put them on a salad with beets!
Recipe courtesy Tamara G., adapted from Jack Bishop
