I have a beautiful little salad for you today, that combines the crunchy textures of burdock root and daikon radish sprouts with an unctuous dressing of Japanese mayonnaise and ground spices and seeds. Fresh, satisfying and extremely tasty, this little side dish is easy to prepare and pleasing to the eye.
Burdock root is somewhat of a new ingredient in my kitchen. Brown and tubular, it looks much like stick picked up in the woods and cut up for supermarket display. That is to say, although I had seen it many times at the Asian supermarket, it had never made it to my shopping cart. In the end, though, its oddness drew my curiosity, and I resolved to purchase some of the branch-like vegetables, wondering on the bike ride home if they really were meant to go into the pot, rather than underneath it, stoking the cooking fire.
It is, as its name indicates, not a branch but a long thin root, its dark brown exterior hiding creamy white flesh. Although the burdock plant is native to both Europe and Asia, its culinary popularity was until recently mostly limited to East Asia. Burdock root retains its crunchy texture even after cooking, and has a lovely sweet and earthy aroma that I find appealing. In Japan, it is usually parboiled, braised or simmered, after a initial period of soaking to reduce its astringency (and prevent it from turning brown again).
Daikon radish sprouts
To make this salad, you will also need Japanese mayonnaise, which is very different in taste and texture than American mayonnaise. I recommend making your own, to avoid the additives found in commercial preparations. The spices and seeds in the dressing are somewhat inspired by the Japanese spice mix called shichimi togarashi (七味唐辛子), and ultimately dictated by what I already had in my pantry! Nevertheless, for many of you, some of the ingredients may require a special trip to the Japanese grocery store — a worthwhile one if you ask me!
Joëlle
A beautiful little salad, that combines the crunchy textures of burdock root and daikon radish sprouts with an unctuous dressing of Japanese mayonnaise and ground spices and seeds. Fresh, satisfying and extremely tasty, this little side dish is easy to prepare and pleasing to the eye.
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Ingredients
- Burdock root, 20cm
- 1 pack daikon radish sprouts (80g)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (see notes)
- 2 tsp tamari
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1/2 tsp poppy seeds, toasted
- 1/2 tsp aonori
- 1/2 tsp yuzu powder
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 2 small shiso leaves, chiffonaded
Instructions
- In a mortar, add sesame seeds, poppy seeds, aonori, dried yuzu peel, ginger and chili powder, and mix with a pestle until the seeds are coarsely ground.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, tamari, mirin and most of the contents or the mortar (save a tsp or so for garnish). Set aside.
- Scrape burdock root with the back of a knife to remove the peel. Cut burdock into thin diagonal rounds (.5cm thick, 5cm long), and then into matchsticks.
- Soak cut burdock in a bowl of cold water with a drop of vinegar for 10 minutes to remove astringency. After 10 minutes, change the water a few times until the water is clear.
- Cut daikon sprouts at the base to remove the roots. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Steam sprouts for 1 minute. Remove the steamer basket, and add burdock root to the boiling water underneath. Boil for 3 minutes, and drain.
- When cool, add both burdock root and daikon sprouts to a bowl. Mix in the dressing and garnish with shiso and the reserved spice mix. いただきます！
Notes
Japanese Mayonnaise is made by emulsifying oil, egg yolks and a touch of rice vinegar, with the addition of a few secret ingredients to give it an umami kick. See my paleo approved version here.
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