Ingredients for the Daikon:
- 3 large, peeled daikon radishes cut into 1.5-inch thick disks
- 2 cups sake
- ¼ cup good quality less sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup aji mirin
- 3 tablespoons white miso
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon corn starch plus ¼ cup water
Ingredients for the Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons grape seed or safflower oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and julienned
- 1.5 pounds sugar snap peas, stems and strings removed
- 10 ounces shitake mushrooms, cut in half and stems removed
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts sliced thin
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white or black sesame seeds
Daikon is amazingly good for your kidneys and circulatory system but what is really cool about it is its texture. It is crisp like a jicama but with a strong radish flavor. When cooked it takes on a firm, meaty, feel. I like to braise it with sweet liquids to balance the peppery spice of the radish.
Mirin is a cooking wine that is like sake but sweeter. In my opinion sake comes in 2 forms: really good and really cheap. I drink good sake and cook with cheap sake and no- they are never one in the same. If you have any trouble finding this stuff any Asian market will have it.
Prepare the Daikon:
- Line a plate with paper towels
- Peel the daikon and cut it into 1-inch thick “scallops”.
- In a 3-quart sauté pan, stir the sake, soy sauce, mirin, miso, sugar, garlic, and peppercorns.
- Add the daikon and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the daikon uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Remove the daikon and reserve them on the towel-lined plate.
- Stir the Sriracha, sesame oil and ketchup into the braising liquid.
- In a small bowl stir together the corn starch and water to make a slurry.
- With the braising liquid at a simmer, whisk in the slurry.
- The sauce should stop simmering for a minute; continue whisking until the liquid returns to a simmer.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes then strain the sauce into a small saucepan and reserve.
Prepare the Vegetables:
- While the daikon is braising prepare the rest of the vegetables.
- Heat a very large sauté pan over high heat.
- Add half the oil and wait until it shimmers.
- Add the bell peppers into the hot pan and toss.
- Continue cooking the peppers until they are wilted and show signs of charring, about 10 minutes.
- Place the peppers in a small bowl and reserve.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan and add the peas.
- Cook the peas for 3 minutes then add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook an additional 3 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and water and simmer until the liquid reduces (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the bell peppers and the sesame seeds then remove the pan from the heat.
Assembly:
- Heat a medium sized skillet with a drizzle of oil.
- Place the daikon disks in the pan and sear until golden brown on one side then flip and sear on the other side (about 1 minute per side).
- Mound about 1/6th of pea and mushroom mixture in the center of a large plate and spoon a bit of sauce from the pan over the top.
- Place 3-4 braised daikon disks around the veg and drizzle each one with the braising liquid sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Chef Roberto Martin’s new restaurant eLOVate at the Waverly at Ocean Avenue South in Santa Monica, CA, go to: www.elovatekitchen.com
For more information on Roberto:
FB page: Vegan Cooking by Roberto Martin
Instagram: chefroberto
twitter: @_Chefroberto
Roberto’s latest cookbook, “New Vegan Cooking,” is available at Amazon.com
and bookstores nationwide