Let’s Do a Radish Deep Dive!

Prep tips + LOTS of ideas for how to enjoy them

A few weeks ago, I asked all of you what produce you were excited about cooking with, and a surprising number of you mentioned radishes. I use them a lot in my cooking. In fact, they graced the cover of my last book, Open Kitchen. It takes a little imagination to figure out what to do with them besides just tossing them in a salad, though that’s definitely a great thing to do with them.

But let’s venture outside the salad bowl, shall we?

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First, some radish prep tips

• When you get your radishes home, cut the greens off, leaving about 1/4 inch of stem. 

• If the greens are fresh and unblemished, store them separately and use them within a few days. I like to wash them ahead of time so they’re ready to use.

• Radish greens can be sautéed like any other green (they’ll lose their prickliness after cooking).

• If you leave the greens on for more than a day or two, they will sap the radishes of their freshness, and will spoil and go slimy before the radishes do.

• Store the trimmed radishes in a zip-top bag lined with a damp paper towel for up to a week (or two!).

• If using them the same day, store in a container of water in the fridge.

• If you’re planning to slice them on a mandoline, leave about 1 inch of stem attached, which will give you something to grab onto and allow you to slice right to the end without wasting much (but wear a cut-proof glove anyway, just in case!). Click here for more mandoline tips.

How to cut them

• More often than not, I like to thinly slice radishes on the mandoline. The thin slices allow them to integrate into salads and other dishes better than chunks or thick slices. Not only do they look pretty this way, they soften slightly in the dressing, and their peppery flavor mingles better.

• If you’re going to roast them — which I also highly recommend — you’ll want to cut them lengthwise into halves or quarters. This flat side allows them to have more contact with the pan so they can take on some color.

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What to cook with radishes

I’m not usually one for hot takes, but I don't really think radishes with butter and salt is all that great. Everyone goes on about it, and serves it relentlessly, but even soft butter doesn't really stick all that well to a watery radish, and who wants to eat so much butter? Don’t even get me started on butter boards. Tell me what you really think!

Here are some other (more delicious, in my opinion) ideas for what to make with them:

Radish Tartines, or Radish Smørrebrød