This was one of those recipes that I could easily flip past. Why? A) I never considered myself a radish person, and B) what is Za’atar? What caught my attention on Page 58 of Dining In was a note from Alison that reads,
“I don’t have anything else important to say about this dish, only that it is probably my favorite one in the whole book.”
Alright, I’m intrigued. The ingredients are simple. Mainly radishes, garlic, oil, butter, vinegar, and Za’atar. I’d never heard of za’atar, but it was clear from my first peruse through Alison’s work that she absolutely loves it. It’s a Middle Eastern spice blend that’s everywhere in her recipes. At the beginning of each cookbook is a pantry list of her essential kitchen items and ingredients that she always has in stock, and za’atar made it on the list.
Side note: I love when chefs do this because it teaches me about what they think is essential to everyday cooking success, and what isn’t.
Alison’s za’atar description lets you know that you can buy a za’atar spice blend at the grocery store, but of course it’s even better when you make your own fresh version. The only ingredients are toasted sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, and salt. The most exciting part of her ode to this spice is her description of the salt and sumac combination: “a sort of salty/sour dream team.” I am SO there.
On my weekly Trader Joes run, I noticed they carry a za’atar spice blend. I was tempted to buy that instead, but sumac was missing from the ingredients list. If Alison is telling me that the best za’atar is made of only four ingredients, and one of those isn’t in this spice blend, then I guess I’m out. Thyme, sesame seeds and salt I have, but sumac? I went to Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Cub, and couldn’t find it. My mother-in-law heard about my sumac woes and called a number of middle eastern grocery stores in the Minneapolis-St.Paul area. One of them carried it - Holy Land on Central Ave. For $4 I purchased enough sumac to hopefully last me the entire cookbook, and then some. (In case you’re also wondering, sumac is a dark red colored spice made from dried and ground berries that grow on sumac flowers. It’s known for its acidic, sour quality. Some blogs say you can substitute it with lemon zest.)
The assembly of this dish takes no time at all. It just calls for sauteing the radishes and garlic in oil until the outsides of the radishes are nice and tender (the insides stay harder and retain some of their notorious kick). Once they’re tender, swirl in the butter until melted, pour in a dash of white vinegar and top with the za’atar and more salt. Because I’m a sucker for an extra crunch, I threw in some toasted thinly sliced almonds as well.
The buttery, salty, sour flavors pair really well with the softened radishes and make for a stellar side dish. Beyond the flavors, the color of the dish is appealing too, and the ingredients are unexpected, making this a crowd pleaser. Have you ever been served a bowl of radishes at a dinner party before? You will if you come over to my apartment for dinner, because this quick-to-make, unexpected and simple side dish is now in my regular rotation for hosting. It should be in yours, too.
2 recipes cooked, 223 recipes to go.
Butter-Tossed Radishes with Fresh Za’atar and One-Pot Chicken with Lemon, Shallots and Dates by Alison Roman.
