Decorative touches can take a meal from everyday to extraordinary. While it may seem like a daunting task, there are simple tricks you can use to create a beautiful display with minimal effort. These radishes, while delicate, are surprisingly easy to make, with only basic cutting techniques needed!
One thing I can really appreciate about Japanese cuisine is their emphasis on detail. Their food philosophy is that we eat with our eyes just as much as we do with our mouths, so taste does not rest on ingredients alone. A feast should be beautiful as well as delicious, and that’s why you will see so many complicated presentations with formal Japanese cuisine.
While it may look intimidating, there are some basic presentation techniques we can use to make artistic touches with minimal effort. I want to try to show you a few decorations over time to really bring your presentation skills to the next level. After all, if you’re going to put in the effort to cook something for someone, shouldn’t you go all the way?? I love seeing the look on people’s faces when they see my edible flowers mixed in with other dishes, and sometimes it makes me feel like I’m an artist with my knife. With a little practice, you can be too!
These little flowers I’m going to show you today are based off the chrysanthemum, or kiku no hana, a very important flower to Japan. The flower represents the imperial family, so its cherished just as much as the ever popular cherry blossoms. You may have seen big, pickled yellow or white chrysanthemums made of daikon radish before, and that’s essentially what we’re making here. This dish is another type of tsukemono, or Japanese pickle, and its pickled with vinegar, which makes it a suzuke, or vinegar pickle!
I like using small radishes instead of daikon for two reasons: they are easier to handle and get the “chrysanthemum” effect, and the red skin actually helps color the radish naturally, turning the whole flower a pinkish hue for a prettier color! If you want to use daikon radish instead, it’s exactly the same technique, only larger. You can also try turnips for a similar effect/ Just take a cylindrical section of the daikon about 2 to 3 inches long and work from there. But, I recommend a radish to start with since they’re easier to handle!
Believe it or not, this delicate flower only requires a bunch of vertical cuts, and is very forgiving if you make a mistake or two along the way. The narrower the cuts, the more petals you’ll have, but even with a few big cuts, it can make a very dramatic effect. If you accidentally cut a petal or so away, it’s no big deal, it actually helps the flower open up a little better! So, don’t be afraid and get ready to cut! As long as you handle your knife confidently and with purpose, you can master this flower in no time at all!
Recipe – Pickled Chrysanthemum Radishes:
– Mix the rice vinegar, dashi and sugar in a small pan and bring to a simmer on medium high heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
– Prepare your radishes by cutting off the bottom to make a flat base.
– Using two chopsticks as a guide, make narrow vertical cuts down the length of the radishes. You want to cut almost to the bottom of the radish, but not all the way, so the chopsticks prevent you from going too far. It must be completely vertical, otherwise you may cut away one of the other cuts you made. It’s no big deal if it happens once or twice, but don’t do it the whole time otherwise you’ll have no petals! Make the cuts to be as close together as possible.
– Once you’ve cut down the length of the radish, rotate it 90 degrees and repeat the process down the other side. You basically want to make a cross hatch pattern.
– Once you’ve made all the cuts, the top will look like this:
– Combine the water and salt to make a saltwater bath for the radishes, and place in the water once cut. Let them sit for about 30 minutes to help them soften.
– After about 30 minutes the petals should be pretty flexible.
– GENTLY squeeze out most of the saltwater and place in a jar or plastic container. If you squeeze too hard the petals might fall off! Pour the vinegar mixture over the radish, and let pickle for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. More water will be pulled out as they pickle, so don’t worry if it doesn’t completely cover them right away.
– The color from the skin will slowly penetrate the rest of the radish over time. The pickle in my main photo was after 24 hours, but if you want the color to be completely even, let them sit for 2 to 3 days. The pickles keep in the fridge for at least a week, so they’re perfect for pulling a flower or two out for each meal to have a delicate accent all week long!
Discuss and Share