Sour Spicy White Radish

Suan La Luobo Pian (酸辣萝卜片)

Ribbony slices of tender white radish are tossed with spicy chilies, robust garlic, and fragrant ginger in a hot and sour vinaigrette.

Sour Spicy White Radish is actually a ‘quick-pickle’ dish. The Chinkiang Black Vinegar, Salt, and Sugar are quickly absorbed by the thin slices of Radish giving them a tangy pickled flavor. Also absorbed are the fragrant-spicy flavors from Chilies, Garlic, Ginger, Cilantro, and Scallion. All of these flavors pop in this simple Saucy Vegetable Dish.

This really is an easy dish to make. However, there is a crucial step that will require some patience. After the White Radish is sliced, it must be coated with Salt and left to rest for 10 minutes. The Salt will add some flavor of course, but more importantly, it will withdraw excess water from the Radish. The Salt also mellows some of the radishy bite. As the excess water is drained, much of the Salt will come with it, leaving the Radish with a hint of saltiness and an incredible texture.

Tasty White Radish (爽口萝卜片) is a similar dish, which has nearly identical preparation methods but with more of a sweet-sour flavor. The White Radish for this dish simply needs to be halved and thinly sliced into half-moon shapes. The Aromatics and Chilies are also quite similar. A handful of small spicy Green Chilies (野山椒) are used instead of the long Green Chilies and no Cilantro or Scallion is added. The following Sauces and Seasonings are used to add more of a tangy flavor: 1 Tbsp. White Vinegar, 1 Tbsp. Pickle Juice (preferably from Sichuan Pickled Vegetables), 1 Tbsp. White Sugar, and 1/2 tsp. Salt. Tasty White Radish is stored and served in the same manner as Sour Spicy White Radish.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1 large White Radish (about 1 kg.)

Aromatics and Chilies
6 – 10 fresh Red Chilies
4 – 6 cloves of Garlic
3 4-inch blocks of Young Ginger (仔姜)
3 long Green Chilies (二荆条)
2 4-inch stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 small bunch of Cilantro

2 – 3 tsp. Salt

Sauces and Seasonings
1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Chili Liquid Seasoning (辣鲜露; If unable to find, combine 1 Tbsp of Light Soy Sauce with 1 pinch of Chicken Bouillon Powder and 1 pinch of Red Chili Powder)
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

Directions

1.) Prepare the White Radish, setting all of the slices in a large bowl:

• Cut off the top and bottom of the White Radish and wash it thoroughly.
• Cut the White Radish in to three equal pieces.
• With the cut-end facing you, cut each Radish piece in half lengthwise to create a flat-surface.
• With each Radish piece, place the flat-surface on the cutting board and thinly slice them lengthwise an 1/8-inch thick into long, rectangular strips.
• Place all of the slices in a large bowl.

(I highly recommend using a mandolin to quickly achieve perfectly uniform slices. The Radish slices shouldn’t be paper-thin but just thin enough to become soft and ribbony after removing the excess water).

2.) Add the Salt to the bowl of White Radish slices and mix it thoroughly with the slices until every piece is coated. Allow the slices to rest for 10 minutes while preparing the Aromatics and Chilies.

3.) Prepare all of the Aromatics and Chilies, placing them together in a large bowl separate from the White Radish:

• Wash the Red Chilies, shake off the excess water, and slice them lengthwise on a bias into long, thin strips. Place them in the large bowl.
• Peel and slice the Garlic cloves. Place them in the large bowl.
• Wash the Young Ginger, shake off any excess water, and very thinly slice them. Place all of the slices in the large bowl.
• Wash the Green Chilies, shake off any excess water, and slice them lengthwise on a bias into long, thin strips. Place them in the bowl.
• Cut the Small Scallion into 2-inch-long pieces and them to the bowl.
• Wash the Cilantro thoroughly, especially the roots, and shake off any excess water. Cut the bunch of Cilantro crosswise three times, dividing it into thirds. Place the Cilantro in the bowl.

4.) After the White Radish has rested for 10 minutes, drain the water extracted from the slices. Fill the bowl with water and drain once more, squeezing as much water from the Radish as possible.

5.) Add all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Light Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Laxian Lu, and White Sugar) to the White Radish slices along with Aromatics and Chilies and mix everything thoroughly.

6.) Allow the everything to rest for 15 minutes to fully develop the flavor and mix everything thoroughly after this time.

7.) Serve individual portions of the Sour Spicy White Radish in small dishes with some of the Aromatics and Chilies as a garnish and a drizzle of sauce. The rest of the Radish can be stored in the fridge and served at multiple meals.

 

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