Chef named ways to rid radishes of bitterness

If you come across a bitter radish, sometimes it is enough to cut it into thin slices and sprinkle with lemon juice or light vinegar. It is especially good to use apple cider vinegar or Uzbek lemon, radishes acquire a pleasant aroma with them, Ilya Romanov, the chef of the White Rabbit Family team, told Izvestia's Food Without Borders gastronomic project.

The bitterness of radishes in salads can be neutralized with an acidic dressing, such as sour cream. It is enough to cut the root vegetable into thin slices or strips, then the bitterness will be harmonious and will not spoil the dish.

"If the radish sourness is not needed at all in the dish, the vegetable can be cut into thin slices and kept in an icy saline solution (in the proportion of 3-5% salt by weight of water). Depending on the radish, this process may take several hours," the expert advised.

Very bitter radishes can be used to make a sauce that is perfect for fish dishes. The root vegetable should be boiled in chicken broth, so that the liquid evaporates to half the amount of radishes in the bowl. Then add the cream (33% fat content) so that the radish is completely in the liquid, warm it up, and then punch everything with a blender. At the end, bring the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

"Radishes with a bitter taste can be pickled like daikon. In this state, it can be stored for two to three months in the refrigerator (the main thing is that the vegetable is always covered with marinade), and its taste will surely surprise your guests. Mix vinegar with water, sugar, salt and turmeric and bring the marinade to a boil. Then pour it over the sliced radishes and marinate for at least 24 hours. The specific radish smell will go away after three days of marinating, and the bitterness will become much more delicate and refined," Romanov recommends.

You can read more tips from chefs and exclusive recipes on the Izvestia Zen channel "Food Without Borders".