Make the most of this turnip-like vegetable by stir-frying the green leaves and pickling the veg - serve with rich Asian-spiced meat
Ingredients
2 bunches radishes, sliced, leaves reserved (see below)
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp five spice powder
2 duck breasts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
leaves from 2 bunches radishes
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp low-salt soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
Direction
Put the radishes in a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with the caster sugar and 2 tsp salt, and leave for at least 30 mins or up to 1 hr. Make a dressing by mixing the vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and chilli together until the sugar dissolves. Gently press the radishes to release any liquid, then tip them into a bowl and pour over the dressing.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the duck, mix the honey, soy, rice wine and vinegar in a small bowl. Slash the skin of the duck breasts and season with salt, pepper and the five-spice powder. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and cook the duck, skin-side down, for 5 mins until golden. Flip over, baste with the honey and soy mix, then put the pan in the oven for 15-20 mins, turning the breasts a couple of times to glaze the skin. Leave the duck in the pan to rest.
For the radish leaves, heat the oil in a small wok, add the leaves and garlic, and stir-fry until the leaves are just wilted. Splash with soy, drizzle with sesame oil and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve the duck breasts whole or sliced – it’s up to you – with the pickled radishes and the stir-fried leaves.