Serving: 1 (but can be multiplied to make as many as you like)
Start to finish: 40 minutes
1 thick slice of rustic bread
1 tablespoon unsalted high-quality European-style butter
3-4 radishes, cleaned and sliced thin, but not too thin.
Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt
Toast a slice of rustic bread and let cool on the rack of the toaster so that it won’t steam on itself. You want it to cool so that it will be crunchy but not melt the butter. Once cool, spread the butter and layer the sliced radishes over the whole surface. If you want the radishes to be at maximum crunchiness, soak in ice water for about 30 minutes before making the tartine. You can add fresh herbs to the butter if you like, but I prefer the simplicity of the butter, salt and radishes.
Just before eating, sprinkle Fleur de sel on top and enjoy. I do this just before I eat the tartine because I want the salt to be crunchy and I don’t want to give it time to pull the moisture from the radishes.
RADISHES WITH SWEET BUTTER AND SALT
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 40 minutes
4 tablespoons unsalted “sweet” European-butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt
10-12 cleaned and trimmed radishes.
Place room temperature butter in a pretty crock, the fleur de sel in a small salt cellar or small bowl and serve the radishes ice cold in a third bowl. If using breakfast radishes, clean and trim them, leaving a bit of the green tops on to act like a handle. Soak in ice water to crisp up before serving. Dip the radishes in the soft butter and fleur de sel.
If using globe radishes, trim the tops, leaving a little of the greenery for looks and to use as a handle. Cut a slit into four sides of the radish with a paring knife, and soak them in ice water for about 30 minutes before serving. You can also simply cut an “X” in the bottom of the radish to hold the butter and salt. Smear with butter first and then dip into the salt.
Nutrition information per serving of tartine : 215 calories; 115 calories from fat; 13 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 31 mg cholesterol; 1169 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 3 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of radishes with butter and salt: 104 calories; 102 calories from fat; 12 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 31 mg cholesterol; 1447 mg sodium; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Elizabeth Karmel, Associated Press
