The idea to do a potato salad with radishes came about when I literally mistook a bag of radishes for a bag of potatoes on peripheral glance in my CSA box. Hey, they’re the same size and shape, and sometimes the same color. It could happen to anyone. Long story short, when I realized I had radishes instead of potatoes, I thought I’d just go ahead with my plan to make potato salad and see what happened. I was pretty happy with the result. You can make this with just radishes (as I did that time) or you can make it with just potatoes (if a solid potato salad recipe is what you’re after), but I love the combination, with the subtle variation in texture and flavor.
People tend to fall into one of two camps when it comes to potato salad: there’s Camp Mayo and there’s Camp Vinegar. I stand by the holy trinity of equal parts vinegar, mayo, and sour cream.* You get the best of both worlds, plus a little something extra that’s creamy like mayo, acidic like vinegar, and somehow manages to lighten the whole thing up.
Braising is a great way to cook radishes, whether they’re going to end up in potato salad or not. They develop amazing flavor, but they still manage to taste fresh. Plus they keep their bright magenta color.
In order to braise all your radishes and potatoes at once, you’ll need a lidded pan with a wide enough bottom that will allow them to stay in one layer. I’m obsessed with my 3.5 quart Staub braiser. If you’ve been watching my videos, you’ll recognize this pan! I’ve used it in every single episode, because I use it for pretty much every meal. It’s an investment for sure, but it will last forever and it won’t let you down.
If you don’t have a large enough pan, you can braise in batches; and that’s totally fine, because this salad is best served at room temperature anyway.
*Astute followers might notice that in the video, I used 3 tablespoons each of mayo, vinegar, and sour cream instead of 2, like the recipe says. My apologies for the confusion; I ultimately decided it was too heavy on the dressing so I made the adjustment.
EQUIPMENT: Wide-Bottomed Pan with Lid, Large Bowl, Cutting Board, Knife, Whisk
Braised Radish and Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz Radishes
- 10 oz Potatoes (new, baby, or fingerling)
- 1 tbsp Shallot, diced
- 1 tbsp Celery, diced
- 2 tbsp Dill, chopped
- 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Whole Grain Mustard
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Water
- Salt and Pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Halve your radishes and potatoes. If any are particularly large, you can quarter them. Just make sure all of the pieces are roughly the same size. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2 Make your dressing. To a large mixing bowl, add shallot, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Whisk until well-combined, and let it set at room temperature while you braise the radishes and potatoes.
- Step 3 In a large pan with a lid, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. When the butter’s melted and starting to bubble, add the radishes and potatoes in one layer, flesh side down. Leave them alone for about 7 minutes until they start to caramelize. Once they’re nicely browned on the bottom, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, cover, and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until the water is absorbed and the radishes and potatoes are fork tender, approximately 15 minutes.
- Step 4 Add the radishes and potatoes to the dressing, along with the diced celery and chopped dill. Toss to combine, and taste for salt. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
SUB LIST
| Shallot | Red Onion |
| Dill | Parsley, Cilantro, Chives (or a combination of any) |
| Whole Grain Mustard | Dijon Mustard |
| White Wine Vinegar | Sherry Vinegar, Champagne Vinegar |
