Simple Sides: Herb Roasted Ruby Radishes and Sweet Eschallots

Recently I was on the telephone with my mum, discussing the fruits of her marvellous veggie garden, and the topic of radishes arose. I don't know about you guys, but radishes don't feature much in the W&W household – only making an appearance in the odd salad. As a child, I would eat them dipped in a little salt, relishing the crisp, clean peppery flavour. However, the things I loved as a child have gone a little by the wayside as I have established my own home and cooking routine, and have developed my adult palate. Little by little I'm trying to revisit the things I enjoyed in my youth, but some things lay forgotten.

Mum and I were considering what we might do with radishes beyond the usual slicing in salads and on a crispy baguette, and we turned out minds to roasting. I must confess to having never thought of radishes of being roast-friendly, although upon reflection, I can't for the life of me see why not. Radishes remind me of little turnips, which is probably as they are all a part of the same Brassica family, and little turnips are delicious when roasted! Googling "roast radishes" didn't bring much excitement, so in the end I treated them as little turnips, tossing them in olive oil, fresh herbs and seasoning them generously and roasting in a hot oven until tender.

Herb Roasted Radishes and Eschallots

Serves 2 as a side dish

Once roasted, the radishes are transformed into a regal collection of ruby gems, bright pink and glistening on their outsides with a gorgeous, creamy coloured centre. The radishes become sweeter in the roasting, but retain an underlying pepperiness, whilst the French Shallots, always a friend to the roasting pan, are sweet, sticky and caramelised. Admittedly the radishes lose their crunchy texture, but none of the crisp flavour – this side dish makes for a lovely, light accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats and a great alternative to roast potatoes in the warmer months.

I have no real recipe for you in this instance, as this is really a slapdash side dish. Go with your instincts and you will be well satisfied!

What you need:

• A bunch of radishes, trimmed of the leaves and scrubbed
• A handful of eschallots (French Shallots), peeled and trimmed
• A good glug of olive oil
• A tablespoon or two of chopped fresh herbs (eg rosemary or thyme)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Halve the radishes lengthways if they are large, and toss them along with the peeled eschallots in a generous glug of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper, add the herbs and toss to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and roast for 45 minutes, checking on them from time to time and giving them a little toss in roasting pan during the cooking.

Serve immediately.