Braised French Breakfast Radishes with Poached Egg
Radishes and their greens cry summer to me. They are the first thing I harvest from my garden and are always amazing. I like to braise the radishes with their greens in butter and serve them topped with a poached egg sprinkled with crunchy salt and coarse black pepper. The sweetness of the butter mellows the spice of the radish and highlights the earthy goodness of those greens. When you split the egg, watch the warm yolk seeps into the greens, and taste the combination, you will understand the beauty of this simple recipe.
This dish makes an amazing brunch or a wonderful warm salad. This is enough for 2. Increase the portions as you wish and enjoy.
Gather together:
2 bunches (12 to 14) French Breakfast Radishes with greens
3 tablespoons good unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
pinch of salt
2 eggs
Here’s what you do next:
Remove the greens and roots of the radishes. Try to keep the greens in little bunches but cutting the greens just below the top of each radish so they remain in a bunch held together by a wee bit of radish. Then, gather the greens in a large bowl. Radish greens will hold dirt, so fill the bowl with cold water and really wash them. Drain and then wash them again until no silt or dirt appears in the bottom of the bowl. Dry the greens in a towel or using a salad spinner. Set aside.
Wash the radishes and slice in half lengthwise into inch 1/2 inch slices and set aside.
In a skillet, heat butter over medium low heat. Add the radishes, thyme, and salt. Cover and let cook, for 2 minutes stirring once or twice. Add the greens and another pinch of salt. Increase the heat to medium high. Stirring continually, sauté the greens and radishes until the greens are wilted, until radishes are tender but still have a bit of crispness to them, 2-3 additional minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
While radishes cook, poach the eggs. Poaching an egg is easy but takes a little practice. Give this method a try, it will be perfect.
To serve, divide the greens and radishes on two plates. Top each plate with a poached egg, some flaky salt, and a good grind of course black or green pepper. If you like, serve with toast and a bit of crème fache or a drizzle of heavy cream.
Bon Appetite baby.