Daikon (Illustration by Katie McBride)
HISTORY
Daikon — a mild, crunchy white radish — is Japan’s most popular vegetable. The name translates to “big root,” and its history can be traced as far back as the third or fourth century, when only the bitter greens of the plant were eaten. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Japanese cooks began to use the root in a variety of preparations, from pickles to cleansing teas.
Sweeter and with less bite than the peppery breakfast radish, daikon is a member of the brassica family and a cool-weather crop, appearing every fall at many farmers markets. It’s also available year-round at many grocery stores, including the international markets Tan A and New Grand Mart.
WHAT TO BUY
Look for daikon with bright, crisp, leafy greens. The root should be a smooth white or black, lacking blemishes or wrinkles. If you don’t plan to use it right away, be sure to store the greens and roots separately in the fridge.
HOW TO PREPARE
Chefs prize daikon for the pleasing bitter note and crunch it brings to soups and salads.
Chef Mike Tam, who has worked in the kitchen at Kendra Feather’s Laura Lee’s and currently mans the stove at his own pop-up restaurant, Maiko, loves daikon for somehow being both savory and sweet, and for its versatility: “It makes excellent pickles, and also can soak up the flavor of stews and soups without melting away.”
In the recipe at right, he turns daikon into a gluten-free, low-carb alternative to roasted potatoes.
Chinese Radish Cake (Lo Bak Go)
By Mike Tam, Maiko and Laura Lee’s
4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 links lap cheong sausage
10-12 dried shrimp
3 scallions, thinly sliced,tops reserved for garnish
2 pounds daikon radish, grated
1 pound rice flour
2 cups water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
nonstick spray
Filling: Soak the shrimp and mushrooms in hot water for about half an hour. Drain both, squeezing out the liquid, and chop the mushrooms, shrimp and sausage into similar-sized pieces. Saute the mixture over medium heat until the sausage starts to sweat. Add the scallion whites, stir and remove from heat.
Batter: Add the rice flour, sugar, salt, soy and white pepper to the water in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
Radish: Peel the daikon and grate it over the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. Transfer the grated daikon and its juices into a large pot and cook on medium-high until tender, about 10 minutes.
Combine: Add the mushroom mixture to the pot with the daikon, then add the rice-flour batter and cook over medium heat until it takes on the texture of creamy mashed potatoes.
Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch pan with nonstick spray and add the mixture, smoothing the top with a spatula. Set up a steamer and steam for about half an hour to set, then refrigerate for a few hours.
Slice into squares and pan fry until crisp on both sides. Garnish with scallions and soy sauce.
