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I love radishes; the sharp, peppery bite is such a perfect salad ornament. But I am here to tell you that radishes aren’t only good raw. My Whole30 “butter” braised radishes bring new dimension to this common vegetable. Even picky eaters will love the mellow umami-enriched flavor of these radishes.
Radishes are both a familiar vegetable and a mystery at the same time. Familiar in that we all know the crunchy sharp bite they add to salads, but a mystery in that many of us don’t know what else to do with them. A whole bunch of radishes may wilt in the back of the refrigerator if we only use one or two in a salad.
I, myself, hadn’t tried cooking radishes until I was a part of a CSA in Massachusetts. The great part of the farm share was trying all kinds of new vegetables (not that radishes were new), but one farm share could easily feed a family of four, and I was single. The new challenge for me became, how can I use all these vegetables in a week? I didn’t want anything to go to waste, so I started to get creative. And that’s when I started cooking radishes to ensure everything I was getting was getting eaten. I’ve sautéed and roasted radishes, but braising them brings more flavor to the radish party.
Cooked Radishes? That’s crazy!
Radishes are not only for salads! As with many sharp or biting vegetables, the cooking process greatly mellows out the radish flavor. Radishes can be chopped and added to hashes, roasted as a vegetable side dish, or braised, like my recipe here.
The best part about braising is that the process adds extra flavor (think extra buttery and umami flavor added), and because radishes aren’t huge, the braising process doesn’t take forever.
First, you’ll brown the radish halves in ghee, which is how the radishes get their buttery flavor without violating the rules of Whole30. Then, you’ll add the chicken stock/apple cider vinegar mixture, and simmer (braise) uncovered until the radishes are tender, but not mushy. Easy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Radishes
There are a lot of different types of radishes; I wrote up about a few varieties on my Snap Pea Salad recipe, which also heavily features radishes.
In the interest of not repeating myself too much, I’ll try to keep it brief here. I used Cherry Belle radishes here, but other varieties would work just as well. Easter Egg radishes have a similar shape and flavor (they’re just different colors, like white and purple), and French Breakfast radishes are mild with an elongated shape. They key to getting radishes with a similar size, that way they braise evenly.
The only radishes I haven’t worked with in this application are watermelon radishes. I’m sure they would be lovely, but the best part of watermelon radishes is the intense color, which will be lost during the cooking process. Save those beauties for a salad, where they will be appreciated more.
Ghee
Ghee is one of my pantry staples. I was introduced to it when doing my first Whole30, but ghee now has a permanent place in my pantry. What I love about ghee is the intense buttery flavor, and it can handle cooking at higher temperatures, making it better for browning just about anything where I want a butter flavor.
Chicken Stock
This recipe is perfect for stray amounts of chicken stock that you have leftover from other cooking. I know I’m guilty of saving random amounts of stock, but not knowing what to do with the leftovers, and then it only goes to waste. No more! Braised radishes are a great use of those scraps.
Feel free to substitute with vegetable stock to make this dish vegan.
Parsley
Adding chopped parsley at the end brings more than just color to this dish. The parsley brings brightness back into the dish after the radishes have been braised.
Many different herbs would work well here: tarragon comes to mind as an alternative that would fit in with a French flavor profile. Finely chopped thyme would also be great here. Really, substitute with any herbs laying around the house; the braised radishes act as a blank canvas for trying out new flavor combinations.
Tips and Tricks
I know I’ve bought a bunch of radishes only to use one or two in a salad, then the rest get forgotten in the refrigerator. This recipe can bring back radishes that have started to feel a little, uh, rubbery. The braising process doesn’t care; you’ll never know that these radishes weren’t at their prime before cooking them.
Serving Suggestions
One bunch of radishes will serve two people as a side. The amount of braising liquid in the recipe below will work for up to two bunches (to serve 4 people); but you may need to increase your pan size to fit that many radishes without crowding (I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet).
Whole30 Braised Radishes
My Whole30 braised radishes bring new dimension to this common vegetable. Even picky eaters will love the mellow umami-enriched flavor of these radishes.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch radishes
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Remove tops and slice radishes in half.
- Melt ghee in a 10 inch cast iron skillet on medium high heat.
- Place radish halves cut side down in the skillet. Sear radishes; the cut side will turn a brown color similar to seared meat.
- Mix chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes together. After radishes are properly seared, pour braising mixture into the skillet.
- Bring the braising liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a medium simmer. Leave uncovered for the radishes to braise for approximately 40 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
- Turn off heat and pour off excess braising liquid.
- Top radishes with the parsley and serve.
