Pickled Daikon Radish
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Total time: 18 minutes (plus overnight chill)
Servings: 8 servings
Country of Origin
China (Nationwide / Northern style)
Description
A crisp, bright, and deeply satisfying pickle. Thick slices of heavy white daikon radish undergo a quick cure to drop excess moisture, then steep in a balanced, sweet, sour, and subtly spicy rice vinegar brine to yield an intensely refreshing and crunchy tabletop appetizer.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Served cold as a side condiment in small glass dishes. The radish slices look clean, bright translucent white, punctuated by floating rounds of bright red fresh chili rings. It is picked up with chopsticks between bites of heavy food.
Ingredients
1 large fresh Daikon radish (approx. 600g)
1 tbsp salt (for the initial sweat cure)
2 fresh red Thai bird's eye chilies (sliced into thin rings)
The Sweet-Sour Pickle Brine:
1 cup white rice vinegar
3/4 cup filtered water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Step-by-Step Directions
Slice Radish: Peel the daikon radish. Cut it in half lengthwise, then slice it into uniform, semi-circle pieces about 1/4-inch thick.
Sweat Out Moisture: Toss the radish slices thoroughly with the 1 tablespoon of salt in a bowl. Let them sit undisturbed for 20 minutes on the counter. This draws out the sharp, sulfurous raw liquid of the radish and primes it for maximum crispness.
Rinse and Dry: Rinse the sweated radish slices thoroughly under cold running water twice to wash off all surface salt. Drain and pat them completely bone-dry with clean paper towels.
Simmer Brine: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the rice vinegar, water, and sugar. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves completely and the liquid just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let it cool down to warm.
Pack Jar: Pack the dry radish slices and sliced red chili rings tightly into a clean glass mason jar. Pour the warm pickle brine completely over the radishes until they are fully submerged.
Cure Overnight: Seal the jar tightly. Let it cool down completely to room temperature on the counter, then transfer it to the refrigerator to cure overnight before eating.
Cooking Tips
Never Skip the Sweat: Skipping the initial salting and sweating step leaves too much natural water inside the radish walls. This water will weep out into your pickling jar later, severely diluting the brine balance and turning your pickles soft and rubbery instead of snap-crisp.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving)
Calories: ~60 kcal
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: ~120mg
Total Carbohydrates: 14g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 12g
Protein: 0.4g
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