Enjoyed straight from the earth, radishes combine sweet and peppery with a watery crunch. It might seem surprising to cook radishes, but when gently poached, their vibrant colour softens into a delicate, pale pink, and their sharpness mellows into something nutty and elegant, leaving only a whisper of their original bite. Prepared this way, radishes become wonderfully subtle, offering an unexpected accompaniment to roast chicken or poached fish. This simple recipe is proof that cooking radishes can transform them beautifully.
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 bunches of breakfast radishes
200ml chicken stock
60g unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground
Black pepper
Method
Remove the stalks from the radishes and wash thoroughly in cold water. Shake dry and place in a heavy-based medium pan that is large enough to comfortably hold the radishes and their cooking liquid.
Pour over the chicken stock and add the butter (don’t worry if the liquid doesn’t completely cover the radishes). Add a small pinch of salt and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the radishes are almost tender, tossing them once or twice to coat in the cooking liquor; this should take no more than 8 minutes.
When the radishes are almost tender, turn up the heat. Slightly to reduce the liquor down until there is just enough to coat the radishes in a pale, glossy glaze. Spoon the radishes into a warm bowl, add a sprinkling of salt and a generous grinding of pepper and serve.