What do I do with ... daikon radish?

[GotGarlic]

As George Takei would say: "Oh myyyy!"

So, I put daikon radish on the grocery list, DH picked up groceries, and - this was the smallest one they had My plan was to make Korean-style daikon-carrot pickles. But there's no way we will eat this many Korean-style pickles. I have a couple of questions.

- Can I freeze it? Any idea what that would do to the texture? Should I blanch it first?

- What else can I do with it? Anyone ever tried a daikon puree, or as a soup ingredient?

TIA.

 

[larry_stewart]

My suggestion was the Korean pickled Daikon/ Carrot , but you beat me to it
Never used it for anything else.
Some help I am.

 

[GotGarlic]

I was counting on you, Larry!

 

[CraigC]

GG, I hope that is just dirt on it as none of the ones I've seen/bought had that spotting on them. The next thing, if you've never used daikon, the odor is a little funky. We've used it once in a slaw that goes on the meatball Banh Mi sandwiches we make. Now we use just plain radishes.

 

[medtran49]

To elaborate a bit further, we started using regular radishes as daikons are not available in the regular grocery stores here, so you have to go to an Oriental market and we don't always feel like doing that. We make a grated radish/carrot slaw to go on the Banh Mis. I don't really taste a huge difference. And some people don't notice the funky odor but we did.

There are soup recipes, just Google. There are pancake recipes too that look interesting.

 

[GotGarlic]

Yeah, I haven't scrubbed it yet - just the little bit that I cut off to taste.

I thought I'd try daikon because neither of us likes regular radishes. My dad used to grow them when I was a kid. Too peppery for me.

Thanks.

 

[larry_stewart]

When I've made the Pickled Daikon - Carrot thing, First time I followed the recipe exactly, second time I altered the ratio to have more carrots/ less daikon. A little seemed to go a long way.

 

[roadfix]

I like grated daikon (with soy sauce, ginger, etc..) to eat with cold tofu or with grilled mackeral.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...neither of us likes regular radishes. My dad used to grow them when I was a kid. Too peppery for me...

Some varieties are milder than others. You're a master gardener, so I'll leave the searching to you.

BTW, I always though that radishes were too hot, but since Himself loves them I buy them. I will slice some wafer-thin, as in see-through, to add to my salad just for the color. But the way I really like them? Cooked! You can roast them in the oven, but I prefer the quick-and-easy way of cutting in half, putting in a shallow skillet with a bit of butter, and simmering over a low heat until the radish is barely tender. Really good! If you need to use it up, try cooking discs in butter to use it up.

 

[GotGarlic]

I like grated daikon (with soy sauce, ginger, etc..) to eat with cold tofu or with grilled mackeral.

That sounds interesting. DH got more fresh tuna today because he liked the seared sesame tuna we had last week. Your idea would work with that, I think

 

[GotGarlic]

Some varieties are milder than others. You're a master gardener, so I'll leave the searching to you.

BTW, I always though that radishes were too hot, but since Himself loves them I buy them. I will slice some wafer-thin, as in see-through, to add to my salad just for the color. But the way I really like them? Cooked! You can roast them in the oven, but I prefer the quick-and-easy way of cutting in half, putting in a shallow skillet with a bit of butter, and simmering over a low heat until the radish is barely tender. Really good! If you need to use it up, try cooking discs in butter to use it up.

I'm sure you're right. Maybe it's one of those childhood dislikes that I should revisit.

I like the simmering idea! Maybe add a few aromatics and some five-spice powder. Hmm. Thanks!

 

[Silversage]

I do a braised Daikon that is wonderful. When I'm home ill dog out the recipe from a Japanese Cookbook that i have.

 

[Silversage]

I just found that Serious Eats quoted the same cookbook and recipe that I use.

Traditional Braised Daikon from 'Hiroko's American Kitchen' | Serious Eats

This is really really good.

 

[KatM]

I like daikon sliced thin and eat it raw for a snack at night.


Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking

 

[RPCookin]

Yeah, I haven't scrubbed it yet - just the little bit that I cut off to taste.

I thought I'd try daikon because neither of us likes regular radishes. My dad used to grow them when I was a kid. Too peppery for me.

Thanks.

In our neighborhood when I was a kid, radishes and carrots rarely made it from the garden to the table because us kids ate them as fast as they were ready to harvest. They rarely even made it past the boundaries of the gardens.

 

[Caslon]

Every 4th of July gatherings, my neighbor used to make a simple radish salad using only various kinds of chopped radishes. White ones, red ones, other ones, using a homemade vinaigrette dressing of some kind. It was unique. Never got her recipe for it.

 

[larry_stewart]

In my local Asian store, Ive seen Daikon Kimchee but never tried it.

 

[Caslon]

Every 4th of July gatherings, my neighbor used to make a simple radish salad using only various kinds of chopped radishes. White ones, red ones, other ones, using a homemade vinaigrette dressing of some kind. It was unique. Never got her recipe for it.

It wasn't the kind of radish salad you'd spoon on your plate. I wouldn't even call it a salad. "Hors_d'oeuvre mixed chopped radishes in vinaigrette" or something. Maybe she included the OP's radish in her mixture.

 

[blissful]

The only way I've had the daikon radish is in a braised beef and daikon stew which I first found in a chinese cookbook. Now the recipe is found online, many variations, with soy sauce, many chinese spices/herbs, and notably star anise. It had a lovely smell while it was cooking, the beef was tender to fall apart, the daikon was cut into chunks about twice bite sized cut on an angle.
Here's one: Cantonese Braised Beef ? Daily Cooking Quest
I'll make this again next time I see daikon radish available here.

 

[GotGarlic]

The only way I've had the daikon radish is in a braised beef and daikon stew which I first found in a chinese cookbook. Now the recipe is found online, many variations, with soy sauce, many chinese spices/herbs, and notably star anise. It had a lovely smell while it was cooking, the beef was tender to fall apart, the daikon was cut into chunks about twice bite sized cut on an angle.
Here's one: Cantonese Braised Beef ? Daily Cooking Quest
I'll make this again next time I see daikon radish available here.

That sounds great - and perfect for adapting to the pressure cooker Thanks!