High heat, crab mellow radishes’ sharp edge
This is an unexpected pairing, to be sure, but radish lovers know that even a brief bit of highheat cooking will mellow the root vegetable’s sharp edge. The radish combines with sweet, snowy crabmeat and the crunch of black sesame seeds for a 10-minute dish that can be served in almost any season. Radish greens provide a juicy bit of chew here.
STIR-FRY RADISH WITH CRAB
2 to 3 servings
Use the best-quality, cartilage-free crab you can find here; in testing, we preferred jumbo-lump. Serve on its own, or over shredded cabbage or steamed rice.
1 bunch red or French breakfast radishes, with greens attached 2 teaspoons canola oil 2 tablespoons cold water 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or Chinese black vinegar Pinch sugar, preferably superfine
7 ounces jumbo-lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any cartilage
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (Black sesame seeds are in the Asian section in supermarkets.)
Juice of ½ lime
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional) NOTE: Chinese (Chinkiang) black vinegar gives a smoky sweetness to the radishes and is available at Asian markets. It is somewhat less sweet than balsamic vinegar.
Trim the leaves, with an inch or two of stems, from the radishes and rinse well to remove any grit. Shake dry. Trim the radishes, then cut them into quarters or bite-size chunks.
Heat a wok or saute pan over high heat until it is almost smoking, then swirl in the oil. Add the radish greens and radishes; stir-fry for 10 to 15 seconds, then drizzle in the water around the edge of the pan (to create some steam for softening the radishes). Season right away with the vinegar and sugar, stirring just long enough for the sugar to dissolve, then remove from the heat. Add the crab, breaking it up gently with your fingers as it falls into the pan. Toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Divide between individual plates. Squeeze the juice of the lime half over each portion, then sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Serve warm.