Butter-Dipped Radishes + Blistered Shishito

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Yield: Serves 6-8, as an appetizer

Butter Dipped Radish with Sesame and Nori + Blistered Shishito

These impressive little bites will start off any menu or dinner party with style! Peppery radishes are coated in rich butter and a salty, toasty mixture of nori and sesame seeds.

Ingredients:

Nori Soil:

2 sheets nori – toasted and crushed by hand
¼ cup (30 ml) black sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

Radishes:

20 baby radishes, green tops intact, trimmed of any wilted or dark leaves
1 pound (454 g) salted butter, room temperature

Blistered Shishito:

1 pound (454 g) shishito peppers
2 tablespoon (30 ml) sesame oil, divided
Salt
2 tablespoon (30 ml) toasted white sesame seeds, divided
1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice wine vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons (30ml) Togarashi, divided

Method:

For the Nori Soil:

Combine the nori, black sesame, and salt in a spice mill and pulse until you reach a ‘soil-like’ texture.

Set aside.

For the Radishes:

Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well.

Temper the butter in a double boiler over moderate heat. Whisk constantly until it thickens and stabilizes to the consistency of melted chocolate. Whisk in a bit of cold butter if it overheats.

Once tempered, let the butter stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Dip the bottom half of a radish into the tempered butter. Remove radish from butter slowly so that the butter coats the radish well. Gently shake away any excess.

Dip one side of the butter coated radish in the nori-sesame soil.

Place the butter-coated radish on a lined and rimmed baking sheet, with the leaves hanging over the rim. Let the radishes stand at room temp for 20 minutes.

For Shishito:

Bring the grill to very high heat.

In a mixing bowl, toss shishito peppers with half of the sesame oil. Place on hot grill, char for 45 seconds, flip. Char for 30 seconds and remove from grill.

Toss with salt, half of the sesame seeds, half of the vinegar and half of the togarashi.

Plate dressed shishito peppers.

Drizzle remaining sesame oil and vinegar over top.

Garnish with remaining togarashi and sesame seeds.

To Serve:

Present as canapes with the soil on the plate and the butter facing up.