Radishes Braised with Wilted Arugula
Radishes and arugula are both in the fire family in the Chinese five-element philosophy of food and health, making them especially good for knocking out those chest colds that just won’t go away. Most people eat radishes raw, and they are equally delicious lightly braised.
Ingredients
- 15 large radishes (long French radishes work especially well)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- splash white wine
- 1 med shallot diced
- 1 handful arugula
- 1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- salt and pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
Trim and scrub the radishes. The radishes can be braised whole or cut into quarters or halves.
Melt the butter over medium heat but do not brown. Add the shallots and saute for 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden. Add the thyme and stir to coat, then deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Add radishes and a little salt and pepper (you can check the seasoning at the end), then add water to just cover the radishes. Cover the pan and simmer 3-4 minutes until the radishes are tender.
Remove the radishes to a dish with the arugula in it and swirl to wilt the greens. Meanwhile, boil the braising liquid until about ¼ cup remains, adding an extra teaspoon of butter and more salt and pepper if necessary. Pour over radishes and greens and serve warm.