Braised and Glazed Radishes, Turnips, or Other Root Vegetable
Instructions:
A basic and wonderful way to prepare all kinds of root vegetables.
Jazz this up with a few sprigs of fresh thyme or a
teaspoon of curry powder or other spice mix
or a couple cloves of garlic.
Other vegetables you can use: anything hard and
fibrous, really—carrots, jícama, parsnips, celeriac, carrots,
waxy potatoes (but not vegetables that easily become
mushy, like starchy potatoes or sweet potatoes).
2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 pound radishes, trimmed, or daikon, turnips, or
rutabaga, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup stock white wine, or water, or more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 30 minutes
- Combine the butter or oil, radishes, and stock in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cook until the radishes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, checking once or twice and adding liquid as needed.
- Uncover and raise the heat to boil off almost all the liquid, so that the vegetable becomes glazed in the combination of butter or oil and pan juices. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add a little lemon juice if you like, garnish with parsley, and serve.
- Braised and Glazed Radishes or Other Root Vegetable
with Miso.
- Try this with daikon: In Step 1, add a tablespoon of soy sauce. In Step 2, as the mixture becomes glazed, whisk together 2 tablespoons any miso (white is mildest) and an equal amount of stock or water; turn the heat under the radishes to a minimum, add the miso mixture, stir, and heat very gently for a minute or so before serving. (Omit the lemon juice and parsley garnish.)