Also known as radis à la croque-au-sel, this typical spring dish is as simple as it sounds. Its young raw radishes, served with creamy butter and a side of sea salt.
I know radishes are not necessarily a vegetable that a lot of people like, but the beauty in this dish lies in its simplicity; it really is something worth trying. Spring radishes have a very short season, so don’t wait until the middle of the summer. This is a taste of the moment; a pleasure of the season, so to say. The radishes are crisp, have a mild, almost sweet bite, and a fresh, light fragrance. It is when radishes mature that they develop the harshness they are more commonly known for.
It wasn’t until I had eaten a fresh radish from our garden that I was converted into believing that radishes were actually something that don’t need to be covered in ranch sauce or simply used as a garnish. The ones in our garden now will be ready in just a few days, so we’re getting the salt and butter lined up. Since the radishes will be dipped in salt, an unsalted, cultured butter is recommended. It’s sweeter than the typical store bought butter and is more complex in flavor.
As Christophe has shown me, the best way to eat this is to cut a deep X into the radish and fill it with as much butter as you can. Then, dip it in the sea salt. The creamy butter plays off the radishes crispness and the crunchy salt subtly heightens the heat in the radish. It really is that good.
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