My boyfriend recently made an incredible chicken dinner out of a recipe from Bon Appetit (May 2015) that was totally amazing. I wanted to recreate the radish portion as an apertif, and hit upon the idea of using bacon to get a little of the meaty flavor. It worked beautifully, and the result is a simple and delicious way to use a bunch (or two) of radishes.
Ingredients:
1-2 bunches radishes
1-2 strips bacon
1-2 tbs red wine vinegar
Butter
Salt, pepper
Fry up a strip or two of bacon in a pan. Remove and set aside. While its cooking, wash the radishes, remove the tails, and separate them from their greens. Quarter or halve if they're large (I was using Shunkyo radishes from our CSA so I cut them into chunks). Add the radishes, and a little butter, to the bacon pan. Sprinkle plenty of salt and pepper over them. Sautee until they begin to turn brown. Meanwhile, clean the radish greens and slice into quarters or so, width-wise. When the white of the radishes turns brown and slightly translucent, add the greens. Wilt them down, adding more pepper and salt. Finish with the vinegar, cooking until it's mostly evaporated. Tear the bacon into pieces and add that too. Yum!
