Korean Radish Salad or Banchan with a twist

 

First seed you attempted to grow? RADISH!

Large contents of your CSA box until at least August? RADISH!

You've had them with butter in a sandwich, you've added them to every salad, you've kept a bowl of them in your fridge in cold water ready to dip in salt and snack? RADISHES!

Now what? You ask.

Looking for something snappy to have with that fatty delicious barbecue?  I've got just the simple ticket.

Of course normally you would make this with a Korean white radish or maybe if you were feeling cross cultural and adventurous a daikon.

This weekend presented a plethora of Korean barbecue at my house from Kalbi to lip smackingly delicious short ribs.  I served this beside my favorite hands down favorite banchan , David Chang's scallion sauce.  Dear lord it is good. (Recipe found in the kalbi link above).

Pardon my iphone snap, but there was dinner to eat!  Just trust me and make this.  Absolutely lovely.

Koread radish salad (American style)

6 - 8 radish, washed and cut into sticks like carrot sticks

1 tsp salt preferably kosher or sea

1T sherry or cider vinegar (i like the sharpness sherry vinegar brings)

2 cloves of garlic minced fine (or if you are me 3 and maybe, just maybe,4 cloves)

1 - 2 T Korean pepper (Gochugaru) very inexpensive but has a distinct taste and heat level.  Order online if your local Asian bodega doesn't stock it - pop it in most anything.

1/2 t raw honey (if you are paleo) or sugar

1 scallion, cut thinly white and green

1 - 2 t toasted sesame seed

Sprinkle salt over sliced radish and let it rest for 10 minutes or so.  Drain off the water that exudes out of the radish.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Stir.  Taste for salt and heat and vinegar snap and adjust accordingly.  Chill.  Serve as one of many sides with barbecue.  Cuts right through the fatty deliciousness of pork.

 

Comments

[christine]

hmmmm. i really dislike radishes. i find them useless. this is a cute recipe though. i may have to give it a try.

one of the reasons i don't do CSAs is getting pantloads of veg that i hate. so don't want that to happen...

[Riyaad]

I find that raddishes need to be paired with other foods to make them palatable to a wide audience. Like you mentioned, pairing them with very rich foods (bbq, cheeses, fish like tuna) or dressing them in a strong vinaigrette helps.

Great recipe!

[Debra]

I usually only eat radishes in salads. Thanks for this recipe. We are having a BBQ this weekend and I plan to have this dish on the table.