Recipe: Radish Butter with Nutty Fruit Crackers

Makes about 2 cups of butter and 36 crackers

Radishes and butter are a match made in heaven but are usually served side by side, with a little bowl of sea salt for sprinkling. I decided to streamline the process by combining all the same elements into a delicious and fluffy radish butter, made even more delicious when spread across a fruit cracker. Just keep sowing your radish seeds throughout the summer so you have a continuous supply.

Ingredients

Radish butter

• 2 cups fresh radishes, washed, dried and finely grated
• 1 cup “European style” unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Crackers

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup dried cherries
• ¼ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts
• ¼ cup roughly chopped pistachios
• ¼ cup roughly chopped dried apricots
• ¼ cup roughly chopped dried figs
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

Method

To make the crackers: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with the raisins, dried cherries, hazelnuts, pistachios, apricots, figs and rosemary. Stir to combine. Add the buttermilk and stir to combine. The dough is quite dry, so I find it best to use my hands for the final mixing to make it all come together nicely.

Press the dough evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove the loaf from the oven and set aside until just cool enough to be removed from the pan. Allow the loaf to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. I will often prepare the crackers to this point the night before and then cut and bake them again the next day. I find it much easier to slice the loaf thinly once it has sat for a bit.

Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each cracker very thinly and lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the face-up side of each cracker with the melted butter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a lovely golden brown.

You can store the cooled crackers in an airtight container for at least one week or in the freezer for 3 months.

To make the radish butter: Heap the grated radish in the middle of a double layer of cheesecloth. Twist the top closed and give the bundle a good squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Repeat this several times until the radish is very dry.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Add the grated radish and salt and mix to combine.

Place the radish butter in a large ramekin or small serving dish. Smooth over the top and sprinkle with a little more sea salt. The butter will keep in the refrigerator for several days, but do allow it to warm slightly before serving to make it easier for spreading on crackers.

Chef’s Tip

When grating the radishes, use a food processor to save time… and your knuckles.

 

Excerpted from The Side Gardener by Rosie Daykin. Copyright © 2024 Rosie Daykin. Photographs by Andrew Montgomery. Published by Appetite an imprint of Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

This recipe was originally published in the May/June 2024 print issue of Western Living magazine. Get your free subscription here.