Sweet And Salty Preserved Radish Food

PRESERVED DAIKON RADISH

Steps:

• Scrub the radishes clean and rinse. Do NOT peel them. Trim the top and bottom of each radish, and trim away any blemishes or dark spots. Cut them into ½ inch x 2.5 inch pieces (1.25 cm x 6.25 cm). Transfer to a large stainless steel or glass container.
• Toss the daikon pieces with 1 ½ tablespoons salt, and set aside for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, squeeze as much liquid out as you can from the daikon pieces. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, or better yet, a wide colander, to allow for airflow. Place in the sun and cover with cheesecloth. Allow to sun dry for 2-3 days (move it indoors at night and keep it at room temperature).
• You'll know that your daikon has reached an ideal level of dryness when they have reduced in size by half. They should feel soft and dry to the touch, and not release any kind of liquid when squeezed.
• At this point, you can store them in a glass container and refrigerate as you would with other condiments. Use them in stir-fries and noodle soups--any dish that can use a bit of salt and crunch. Just wash and chop them before cooking.
• If you'd like to season your daikon, boil a large pot of water, cover, and allow to cool completely. Use the boiled, cooled water to wash the dried daikon pieces, rubbing them between your palms as you wash to re-hydrate slightly and remove excess salt. Squeeze out as much water as you can.
• In a clean mixing bowl, combine the daikon pieces with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 heaping tablespoon of pickled chili sauce, and a small pinch of dried chili flakes. Mix well, cover, and allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
• The next day, serve! You can keep this preserved daikon in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Use a clean utensil whenever you dip into it.

AUTHENTIC PAD THAI RECIPE

Steps:

• Add palm sugar to a small pot and melt over medium heat. Once the sugar is melting, keep stirring until it darkens in colour (see video for colour). Immediately add water, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. The sugar will harden immediately and this is okay.
• Bring sauce to a simmer, then turn off heat. The hardened sugar will not have dissolved at this point, but let it sit while you prep other ingredients and it should be dissolved by the time you need it. Check that it is dissolved before you start cooking!
• Cut drained noodles once with scissors so they are half as long. This makes them easier to toss and separate in the wok.
• In a bowl, combine tofu, garlic, shallots, preserved radish, dried shrimp, and chili flakes.
• Heat a wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Sear shrimp, or whatever protein you're using, until done and remove them from pan.
• In the same wok over medium heat, add a little more oil if needed, then add everything in the tofu bowl and sauté for a few minutes until garlic starts to turn golden and shallots are wilted. If the wok looks dry, add a little more oil. (Don't skimp on oil otherwise the noodles will clump up together.)
• Turn heat up to high then add noodles and sauce. Keep tossing until all the sauce is absorbed.
• Once sauce is absorbed, you can turn off the heat and taste the noodles for doneness. If they're still undercooked, add a little more water and continue cooking, being careful not to add too much water!
• Once noodles are done, push them to one side of the pan. Add add little extra oil to the empty space and add eggs. Break the yolks, then put noodles on top of eggs and cook for about 30 seconds. Flip and toss to mix eggs into noodles.
• Toss the cooked protein back in, plus any collected juices. Then add bean sprouts, garlic chives and half of the peanuts. Turn off the heat and toss until well mixed.
• Serve immediately with a lime wedge and extra peanuts on top. For a classic presentation you can add a little extra side of bean sprouts and some garlic chives garnish.
• Be sure to squeeze a bit of lime on top before eating!

SWEET AND SALTY PRESERVED RADISH

Steps:

• Put the radish in a colander and rinse with cold running water. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and add boiling water to cover by 1 inch. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the radish to soften and expand a little. Drain and, if necessary, cut the radish into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long.
• Return the strips to the bowl, add the sugar, fish sauce, and ginger, and toss to coat the strips evenly. After 10 to 15 minutes, they are ready to eat. Don't expect much liquid because the radish soaks up most of the fish sauce.
• To store the radish, tightly pack the strips and the seasonings into a small glass jar and refrigerate for up to 6 months. When using them, remove strips from the bottom of the jar, which will be more flavorful. After you pull out what you need, stir the remainder around in the jar to expose them evenly to the seasonings. If the radish strips get too salty, rinse briefly with water before eating.