Braised Radishes

I feel like an adventurer, a pioneer.  I decided to try a new approach to radishes.  When looking for a pickled radish recipe, I ran across a recipe for "braised radishes."  I'm not sure that I technically braised them as I started with butter in the pan and didn't really sear them.  I guess you would say that I sauteed them.  Either way, they turned out wonderful.

As I stated, I started with a pat of butter in the pan.  I let it melt and then added the radishes - quartered or halved so that they would be bite size.  I tossed the radishes around in the pan so that they were coated in butter and let them cook.  After about five minutes, I added some garlic - mainly because it sounded good.  I then turned the heat down from medium to medium-low and put a lid over the pan.  I stirred them every once in awhile, but mostly just let them cook.  It took about 15 minutes before I could pierce them with a fork easily.

I poured the whole thing out onto a plate, added a dash of salt, and explored.  As I took my first bite, I wondered what it would be like to have been the first person to try this food.  For me, it was a first.  I have only eaten radishes raw, in salad, and, just recently, pickled.  The had the consistency of a nicely cooked carrot.  But the flavor was new.  There was no hint of that spicy crisp radish you find in a salad.  It was a more mellow radish...one that would be a nice addition to a plate with chicken or pork.  I could see someone asking what type of potato I was serving, as they looked and felt a bit like baby red potatoes.

I have tried lots of unusual foods in my life.  Braised radishes are nowhere near the most exotic fare.  But the act of cooking a radish was a leap of faith...a journey from the foods that I recognize.  And it will certainly not be the last time.