Although the recipe calls for red radishes, you could use others of a similar shape and size. Also, after a day, the radishes lose their red rims and the entire radish turns a pale magenta. They lose the hot edge of a radish, and will smell a little like sauerkraut, but will not taste as strong. These quickles are not a subtle flavor, but they go well with things like braised beef, corned beef sandwiches, and are great with smoked salmon and especially herring pickled in white wine.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch red radishes, trimmed of tops, leaving 2 inches of stem attached for “handles” 1 cup of sugar + 2 tablespoons 2 cups rice vinegar or white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt* Water if needed -Optional- 2-3 sprigs dillMETHOD:
Mix together the 1 cup of sugar and the vinegar and whisk until all the sugar goes into suspension (disappears). Taste for balance. If the solution is quite tart, add a little sugar at a time until it just reaches a sweet-sour balance. If the flavors are balanced, but the solution just seems “too much”, tone it down by adding a few drops of water at a time.
Use a mandolin over a bowl to slice the radishes into coins around 1/16th of an inch thin. Use the stems as handles to keep your fingers out of trouble. Mix the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the 2 tablespoons of salt together well, and sprinkle the radishes with enough to lightly coat the lot evenly. Toss well for about 30 seconds, and leave to rest for 5 minutes. After five minutes, check to see if the radishes are getting pliable. The idea is for them to become somewhat pliable without becoming floppy. The coins should flex some before cracking as a normal raw radish would. This should take around 5-8 minutes.
When the radishes have reached the desired texture, toss them into a large non-reactive bowl and rinse with running cold water until they no longer feel slippery. Taste a few to see if they taste salty, and if so let them sit in the running water a few minutes. Drain well and toss in a clean towel to remove excess water.
Put the radishes into the quickling solution and, if using, add the dill. Allow to sit in the solution for a while before transferring the quickles to a container to refrigerate. They should be ready to eat within 30 minutes.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chef’s Notes:
*Use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, the plain one that says nothing about “ice cream” or “fine crystals”. It is the perfect size and tastes clean. Morton’s kosher salt has a metallic flavor that is off-putting.
Yield: Will vary based on size of bunch, around 1 to 1½ cups.
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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