It's been a long time, I know. And, honestly, while I've been cooking, it hasn't been worth sharing. You see, I've been working--teaching French and stage managing--which has left very little time for meals. Tonight, however, I was finally able to (almost) take a day off, stock my terrifyingly empty refrigerator with a much-needed trip to Trader Joe's (we'd been making due with Fresh Direct orders for the past two months) and make a real dinner that didn't include the use of my slow cooker and involved two dishes.For my first meal "back," I decided to use a vegetale I encounter quite frequently on the streets of Chinatown, though, to the best of my knowledge I had never tried it. I'm talking about daikon, or lobak, as it's commonly referred to down here. Daikon looks like a giant white turnip, but smells and tastes like a radish. It has a nice sharp bite raw. Roasted, however, it becomes delightfully caramelized and almost sweet. Paired with soy sauce, it remains a savory side dish and we quite enjoyed it with Broiled Lime and Vinegar Chicken, whose acidic sauce paired beautifully with the daikon. It was also a lovely marriage with our Sauvignon Blanc. Definitely a vegetable I'll be exploring again soon!
And, to give credit where credit's due, I got the idea to roast the daikon in the first place from Kalyn's recipe for Roasted Radishes. As you can see, I tweaked it slightly. Thanks for the inspiration, Kalyn!
Roasted Daikon with Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds
(inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen)
- 2 daikon, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
Links to other daikon noshes:
- Crispy and Crunchy Daikon Cakes from Nook & Pantry
- Vietnamese Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish from White on Rice Recipes
- Everyday Daikon and Carrot Pickle from Serious Eats
- Daikon & Pepper Salad from A Veggie Venture
