Make your radishes with butter even better! Don't throw away those radish leaves, blanch them and add them to softened butter to make a beautiful dip! Ready in 15 minutes!
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Use it or lose it! That's my motto. Or maybe "Can you eat this?" would be better. Radishes with butter are a classic French snack, but if not for David Lebovitz, I never would have thought about eating the radish leaves, too!
In his book, Drinking French, he takes things to the next level by blanching the radish greens and adding them to the butter instead of discarding them. Delicious, and a great way to reduce food waste!
These make a perfect snack with cocktails, or maybe on the buffet in place of the same old crudité.
Ingredients
- Radishes and radish leaves: Look for radishes with that are firm to the touch with no mushy spots. The leaves should be bright green and perky, not wilted.
- Unsalted butter: You could splurge on the good French kind if you want, but not necessary.
- Coarse sea salt: I like Maldon sea salt for these, the beautifully shaped crystals add crunch and the mild flavor lets the radishes shine.
Instructions
Adapted from Drinking French by David Lebovitz
Wash the radishes well.
Use a good chef's knife and trim the leaves away from the radish. Leave a little bit of stem to use as a handle for dipping. It's nice for color as well.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium-sized bowl with ice water.
Place the radish greens in the boiling water and blanch for 15-30 seconds, just until they turn a very bright green. Then immediately remove them and put them in the ice water. It's best to do this in a few batches so you can ensure great color on all the leaves without overcooking them.
Place the radish leaves in a kitchen towel and wring out as much water as possible.
Add the radish leaves, butter, and a pinch of sea salt to a small food processor. Pulse until the radish leaves are well-incorporated into the butter. Transfer the radish leaf butter to a serving dish, top the radishes with some good sea salt such as Maldon and serve!
Tips for cleaning and storing radishes
- Radishes can be very sandy. Wash them well under cold water, then give them a spin in the salad spinner, or allow to dry on a kitchen towel. I usually store them in the salad spinner covered in a damp paper towel until ready to use.
- You can also store them in a zip top bag with a damp paper towel. Don't close the bag all the way and place it in the crisper drawer.
- Try to use your radishes within a few days of purchase.
FAQ
Yes, radish leaves are edible. Some of them have a prickly, fuzzy texture on the back, so blanch them or cook them down, just like you would spinach. Then you can use them in pretty much the same way you would use spinach. Add to pasta, soups, or use in this radish leaf butter.
They have a light, fresh, slightly peppery flavor, just like the radish that they came from.
Related Recipes
Keep the radish love going Salmon with Peas and Radishes.
Or maybe you're here for the cocktail snack of it all?
- Gluten Free Cornmeal Madeleines with Bacon and Sun-Dried Tomatoes are like little savory cornmeal muffins.
- Parmesan Crisps (Frico) only have one ingredient: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese!
- Crostini with Peas, Mint and 'Nduja are a perfect spring bite.
Recipe
Radishes with Radish Leaf Butter
Ingredients
- 4 cups radish leaves loosely packed
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- radishes
Instructions
- Wash the radishes and greens well.
- Trim the leaves away from the radishes. Leave a little bit of stem to use as a handle for dipping. It's nice for color as well.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium-sized bowl with ice water.
- Place the radish greens in the boiling water and blanch for 15-30 seconds, just until they turn a very bright green. Then immediately put them in the ice water. It's best to do this in a few batches so you can ensure great color on all the leaves without overcooking them.
- Place the radish leaves in a kitchen towel and wring out as much water as possible.
- Add the radish leaves, butter, and a pinch of sea salt to a small food processor. Pulse until the radish leaves are well-incorporated into the butter. Transfer the radish leaf butter to a serving dish, top the radishes with some good sea salt such as Maldon and serve!
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from Drinking French by David Lebovitz. I highly recommend it if you'd like to learn more about traditional French cocktails, aperitifs, and café drinks. It's a fascinating and well-researched book. And check out David Lebovitz IGTV on Instagram for lots of videos of making drinks from this book. He is one of my favorite chefs.
- I think you really need a mini-food processor for this recipe, not a full sized one. There just isn't enough stuff for a big one. Perhaps a large one would work if you were doubling the recipe.
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