How to eat radishes

This week in my organic delivery of fruit and veggies I got the sweetest little bunch of radishes. Of course the first thing I did was Instagram the shit out of them, as one does, and I had a message from Claudia Rowe from The Jammery stating that I needed to eat them with butter and salt flakes. Butter and salt flakes? JUST TWO OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. I was willing to give it a try. She explained to me that her old boss and legend Fergus Henderson from The French House Dining Room fame had written it in one his books about the best way to eat them, so of course she Instagrammed the shit out of that page of his book and sent it to me. As one does.

He writes ” Pile your radishes onto a plate and have them beside a bowl of coarse sea salt and good butter. To eat, add a knob of butter  to your radish with a knife and sprinkle of salt, then eat. Have a bowl of for the discarded leaves and once you have finished the bulbs dress the leaves with as much vinaigrette as seems appropriate and toss and then eat this wonderfully peppery salad.”

Today I had the perfect excuse for giving this a red hot go. My Mum, Aunt, Great Aunt and second cousin popped down for a quick day visit and your classic mid week ladies lunch. Mum wanted to show Great Aunty June my place and while my other Aunt was here from Tassie, it was the perfect chance for a catch up. I cooked up some hot pumpkin soup, with a huge dollop of fresh pesto whacked in to garnish, hot toast with lashings of butter and OF COURSE a few glasses of champagne as well, but to start? Well radishes with butter and salt yo.

R1 R2 R3 R4 R6 R5 R7 R8

The verdict? Well Aunty Trish and I both agreed that the radishes were not as peppery as they could have been, which would in fact make this the tasty treat I know it should and could be. I mean it makes sense doesn’t it? The peppery, hot radish with salt and butter? We tried a few, just to be sure, and if I get my hands on some more, I’ll be sure to give them another try. Just to be sure. And now? Well I have some seriously hot butter in my fridge. And it’s not like THAT will go to waste now will it? Aunty June discussed her funeral arrangements again, just so we all know, to be sure, and a lovely day was had my all.

Now go order some of Claudia’s jams and pickles. They are the business.
Have you eaten radishes this way?
Genius no?

Comments

  1. Try this savoury spread – cottage cheese with finely sliced radishes, finely chopped chives and a bit of salt. Mix, spread on your favourite bred – yum!

  2. I like butter and salt AND champagne! Winner winner radish dinner 🙂

  3. Emma Steendam says

    So true that the radish is the pretty vegetable everybody instagrams the shit out of but doesn’t know how to eat. My mother-in-law grows quite the peppery radish (and don’t even get me started on her rocket – wooo hot!) so I’ll have to get her secrets.

    Champagne midweek lunch? Yes please.

  4. Ha! My husband’s grandfather has been discussing his funeral arrangements AT LENGTH for years The man is 101 years old though so I guess it’s to be expected. Claire xo

    • BabyMacBlogBeth says

      I suppose so! Gosh she made me laugh with all the planning…right down to what she’s wearing in the coffin!

  5. Bree Di Mattina says

    They are ‘breakfast’ radishes so they are milder. The round ones are more peppery. I cut them and just crack salt over them. Or dice with capers and cornichons and eat with pate or foie gras or terrine. YUM YUM YUM

  6. I first fell in love with radishes when I was on a school exchange to France. My host mom used to cut a cross it the top of each radish, and cut about half way down so it looked almost tulip like. Then we would fill those little babies with butter and a sprinkle of salt. To this day, it’s the only way I eat radishes! So good. Even better with a glass of bubbles, I’d say!

    • BabyMacBlogBeth says

      Parfait! It must be a French way…I am a fan! And no wonder that French champers tasted so good with it…

  7. ahoy.jenni says

    Well you obviously got the organisation gene from Aunty June….
    What flowers will she be having?

    • BabyMacBlogBeth says

      Maybe I did! She was only keen on discussing burial arrangements and the like – including her outfit etc. I will have to press her for details on the flowers although I suspect she has that filed in her funeral folder!

  8. Once when I was REALLY little, I was in a back garden and saw these delicious-looking little red things! Like baby apples! So I picked one and crunched it whole in my mouth and the pain of that sharp taste …. I ran inside crying but couldn’t tell my mum or nan because I was a thief, you see. A thief of a hot hot radish and I will NEVER eat one again. (But yours do look yummy and sophisticated.)

  9. I was taken to a very posh (up itself) restaurant in Wimbledon, UK, many years ago, and they served these with our pre-dinner drinks, with butter and salt. I liked it. Enjoy. Mind you I think champagne improves any food 🙂

    • BabyMacBlogBeth says

      Oh how fab! I love that. I shall pretend that’s why I did it…cause I’m FANCY. Thanks for the tip!

  10. Love a good mid week champagne.

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