Gill Meller's Fried Radishes

Fresh radishes are such enjoyable things to eat raw that I rarely think to cook them. But, at a time of plenty, I make exceptions to the rule. This recipe works best if the radishes still have their tussle of coarse green leaves on top. These leaves are a sign that the radishes themselves will be nice and crunchy. I like to serve the tempura-fried radish with a simple dip that combines natural yoghurt, soft goat’s cheese, lemon zest and freshly chopped dill, but they’re equally tasty served on their own with a spritz of lemon and a pinch of flaky salt.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

100G (3½Oz) Plain flour
100G (3½Oz) Cornflour
1 Tsp Fine sea salt
½ Tsp Baking powder
250Ml (9Fl Oz) Sparkling water
150G (5½Oz) Log of goat’s cheese
4 Tbsp Natural yoghurt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Small handful of dill, finely chopped
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
12 Crunchy radishes with their tops on flaky sea salt and freshly ground

Method:

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornflour, fine sea salt, baking powder and sparkling water, whisking until you form a smooth batter. Set aside. In a separate bowl, use a fork to combine the cheese with the yoghurt, lemon zest, olive oil and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Heat about 6–8cm (2½–3¼in) of sunflower oil in a large, deep pan. It’s hot enough when a cube of bread turns golden in 40–50 seconds. Dip the radishes into the batter, making sure they are well covered, then lift them out and let the excess batter drip slowly back into the bowl.

Fry the radishes in batches, 2 or 3 at a time, until crisp and golden. You might need to turn them once or twice in the oil to ensure they cook evenly. Remove the cooked radishes and set aside to drain on kitchen paper, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the oil to come back up to temperature before cooking the next batch.

Serve the radishes with the herby, yoghurty goat’s cheese and with lemon
wedges for squeezing over.