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Saturday, March 26, 2011

What to do with all of these radishes? - Tacos, of course!

What to do with several bags of winter radishes in mid-March? Pickle 'em for radish tacos, of course!

Recently, I bought several dozen homemade flour tortilla's from a student's family, so we'd been craving "Mexican" anyway.

A few years back, Tex Tubb's Taco Palace in Madison offered a Daikon Radish taco. I was in love with it. I ordered two each time I went. I was sad when it was discontinued. I still ask for it each time I'm there in hopes I'll get a chef/wait person from the good old days who will make me one. I never have any luck on that one.

So, we created our own! We made a coleslaw with a kick, a mayo-based sauce, pickled radishes, and viola - even better radish tacos.

This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank god we have this blog to record the process.

Pickled Radishes (good for more than just tacos - that's for sure!)
up to 4 lbs. radishes (you could add carrots to the mix if you'd like)
6 c. water
1.5 c. white vinegar (5% acidity)
1 c. apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1/4 c. kosher salt
1 garlic clove per jar
1 sliced pickled jalapeno per jar
2 dried chipotle peppers
1 tbsp. mustard seed
3/4 tbsp. celery seeds
15 coriander seeds
6 allspice berries, plus a pinch of ground allspice
1/2 tsp. turmeric

Directions:
Add everything except the radishes (and whatever else you add!), jalapenos, and garlic to a non-reactive soup pot. Bring to a boil. Put the radishes, jalapenos, and garlic into a Tupperware or jar. Pour liquid over veggies. Refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours before eating. The longer you wait, the deeper the flavor will be! However, if you can't wait (like I couldn't), dig in early.

If you want to process them, put them in sterilized mason jars, and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Coleslaw with a Kick
1 purple head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yogurt
hot sauce (we used ghost pepper hot sauce) to taste
1-2  teaspoons of sugar
a pinch of salt

 Directions:
We made this on the fly, so these measurements are guesstimates. Combine all ingredients except cabbage. Taste as you add ingredients to make sure the flavor suits your palate. Then, add the shredded cabbage. Refrigerate.

Chipotle-Mayonnaise Sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
chipotle adobe sauce
lime juice
mayonnaise
sour cream

Combine all ingredients. Taste to find the correct combination for your liking.



Andy decided he wanted to add some meat to the mix. He brought up a piece of Bodin's fish from the freezer. He spiced it up and got it ready for fish tacos.

Pickled radishes, coleslaw, tortillas, marinated fish
Achiote Fish
4 rounded tablespoons achiote seeds
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
12 whole allspice
white fish







Put all ingredients into ingredients (except the fish) into a coffee or spice grinder. Dump contents into a bowl. Add water until you get a thick paste. Spread paste on fish. Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

To cook it, heat a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan on medium high. Add enough oil to coat the pan. Put the fish in for 1-2 minutes per side.


Assemble the tacos: tortilla, pickled radishes and/or achiote fish, coleslaw, and chipotle-mayonnaise sauce. Wow! Yum! Stupendous! Bring on the margaritas! . . . and, is summer here yet? This plate is summer on a plate.


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