Radishes in the Kitchen

A small ingredient that announces spring

Radishes do not need much to get your attention.

Crisp, fresh and slightly peppery, they are among the first spring vegetables to return to the table when, after winter, we begin craving lighter and fresher flavours again.

Most often, we eat them simply.

With bread and butter.
In a salad.
With a pinch of salt.

And perhaps that is why we sometimes forget that radishes can be much more interesting in the kitchen.

A LITTLE COOK’S SECRET

The characteristic peppery flavour of radishes is linked to compounds found throughout the brassica family. It is why we can recognise a certain flavour connection with mustard, horseradish and cabbage.

But the most interesting part is what happens when we add heat.

Roasting softens their sharp character, changes their texture and allows their natural sweetness to come forward.

A small, crunchy vegetable that we usually associate with cold dishes suddenly becomes something quite different.

Still a radish.

Just from another point of view.

A LITTLE TIP FROM TGCC

When you buy a beautiful fresh bunch of radishes, do not be too quick to discard all those green leaves.

If the young leaves are fresh and tender, they are perfectly edible.

Use them in a salad, add a few as a fresh green accent on the plate, or turn them into a simple pesto.

One ingredient.

And almost nothing needs to go to waste.

Discover what happens when radishes go into the oven instead of the salad bowl →