The Steps
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1. To prepare raw daikon for use, cut off the leafy green top and use a vegetable peeler to shave the outside. Discard the excess shavings. 01:08
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2. To prepare daikon for slow-simmering, use a chef’s knife to cut one-inch rounds. Use a vegetable peeler to bevel the edges of each round. 01:52
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3. To prepare daikon for salads, use a mandolin to shave thin rounds. If a mandolin is unavailable, carefully use a chef’s knife to make thin, even slices. 02:38
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4. To julienne daikon, stack the thin rounds and use a chef’s knife to slice narrow, evenly-sized, matchstick-shaped cuts. 03:12
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5. To grate daikon, stabilize the end of a microplane grater on a cutting board. Hold the grater at a 45 degree angle, and slide the root back and forth across the surface of the grater. Continue this process until the desired amount of pulp is produced. This can be used as a sauce or a condiment. 03:45
What You'll Need
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Mandolin
- Microplane grater
Ingredients
- Daikon radishes
Chef Notes
Daikon translates to “big root” or “great root” in Japanese.
Daikon greens can be salted and pickled, stir-fried, steamed, or sautéed in the same way as other dark, leafy greens.
Beveling is the process of cutting an ingredient at an angle, creating a sloped edge. This cut can be applied to a wide variety of vegetables. It helps prevent the edges of the ingredient from becoming bruised during long, slow, cooking processes.
Chef Gabriel mentions that both daikon root and daikon leaves can be pickled. To learn more about this technique, visit Chef Paul Virant’s “An Introduction to the Art of Pickling” tutorial located at the bottom of the page.
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