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Holiday Bites: Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish

Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish

I’m presenting Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish as a light holiday bite. The kind of lunch or snack that you’d serve on Christmas Day after the big breakfast but before the even bigger holiday meal. Of course Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish isn’t strictly for holiday snacking, but it is naturally festive – needing no food dyes artificial tinkering to perfectly match the greens and reds of your holiday decor. At my house we celebrate both the greens and reds of Christmas and the blues and silvers of Hanukkah, so I’ve presented my Avocado Toast on blue – but you can eat it on whatever colored table, or plate, or napkin you’d like.

The concept of Avocado Toast is quite simple. It’s basically perfectly ripe avocado on toast. It can be mashed or sliced, that’s up to you. However the magic comes from the subtlety of what else you serve on the toast besides the avocado. Butter is essential, believe it or not. Well, butter, or crème fraîche, or handmade ricotta. So choose the very best of whichever you prefer or have on hand.

Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish

Once you’ve smeared the warm toast with the lush fat of your choice (butter, crème fraîche, or ricotta) and have the (mashed or sliced) avocado in place you could stop there with just a sprinkling of salt (and/or pepper) to finish it off. It would taste good and you’d be happy.

However, things get really interesting when you add another element. Something, crunchy and puckery works nicely. In this case Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish. But crunchy, puckery and spicy is good too. I’ve also made it with ribbons of Mexican-style hot pickled carrots before. However orange doesn’t quite fit into my holiday color scheme – but a dash of red hot pepper sauce certainly does. So that’s what I did. GREG

Avocado RadishAvocado Toast with Pickled RadishAvocado Toast with Pickled Radish

Avocado Toast with Pickled Radishes and Hot Sauce 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 6–8Published
Avocado Toast with Pickled Radishes and Hot Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 breakfast radishes (or about 8 round radishes)
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar (or other mild vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6–8 slice whole grain bread (depending on size)
  • high quality, European-style unsalted butter (at room temperature, or alternatively crème fraîche or ricotta)
  • 2–3 firm but ripe avocados (depending on size)
  • flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
  • hot sauce (optional)

Directions

Use a mandoline to thinly slice the radishes lengthwise. Be very careful, use a teflon glove or other protection for you hand, as small items can be tricky to slice. You may alternatively slice the radishes using a chefs knife.

In a medium bowl mix the vinegar, water, sugar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt together until dissolved. Add the radishes, tossing to coat every few minutes for about 15 minutes total. Drain and set aside. 

Lightly toast the bread; while warm generously butter one side of each slice (or alternatively slather each slice with crème fraîche or ricotta). 

Peel and slice the avocados then immediately place 3 or 4 slices on each toast, followed by 5 or 6 radish slices. Lightly salt each toast and drizzle with hot sauce to taste (if using). Serve immediately.