Smoky Harissa Pesto and Radish Toast
Radishes often play the supporting act in dishes, adding sharpness and texture without stealing the spotlight. But when treated with a bit of care, they can easily take centre stage. In this dish, I’ve focused on using a mix of radish varieties - think vibrant red, pinks, and even purples - fanned out over a generous layer of salty chive butter on sourdough.
Topped off by this smoky harissa pesto - a bit of an experiment that turned out to be a winner. A bold mix, this pesto has a punchy, tangy flavour that pairs perfectly with radishes, butter, and capers for some added crunch. This toast shows just how versatile radishes can be.
TIP: If you have a mandoline to hand, try using this. It can be really useful in achieving a consistent size and texture when preparing your radishes as they can be fiddly!
SWAP OUT: If radishes aren’t your thing, try swapping out this toast for something milder like cucumber ribbons or grilled courgette, perfect for this time of year too. You can achieve that similar variety of colours with the amples of courgette varieties available right now. I’m currently enjoying cooking with zephyr and cocozelle’s for that added depth of colour and pattern to my plate.
SERVE WITH: Searching for more of that peppery kick? Try serving this dish with a generous serving of wild rocket and a squeeze of lemon juice for some acidity.
I N G R E D I E N T S
For the smoky harissa pesto:
7 medium-large sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 Scotch Bonnet red chilli
60g salted Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
50g pecorino, roughly chopped
2 tbsp harissa paste
Juice of one lemon
200ml olive oil
A good crack of black pepper
For the base:
Good quality sourdough bread
1 tbsp salted butter, softened
15g fresh chives, finely chopped
For the top:
4-5 small to medium sized radishes, finely sliced
2 tbsp smoky harissa pesto
1 tbsp nonpareille capers
5g fresh chives, finely chopped
M E T H O D
S M O K Y H A R I S S A P E S T O:
NOTE - These measurements are a guidance. I found that once I had incorporated all the pesto ingredients I went back in and played around, especially with the quantity of chilli.
Combine in a blender or food processor the sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, almonds, and garlic. You may find that you need to give it a mix as you go to ensure that everything is mixing evenly.
Begin to add the pecorino in batches.
Once the ‘dry-ish’ ingredients are all incorporated, add in the harissa paste and lemon juice.
At this point, you may want to give it a little taste. The pecorino and the almonds are fairly salty so you may want to refrain from adding anymore salt, however pepper is welcomed.
Next, add the oil in 50ml batches, or until a smooth pesto like consistency begins to form.
T H E T O A S T:
Finely chop your chives, reserving some on the side for garnish later on.
Add your salted butter to a bowl, ensure your butter is soft so it creates an almost ‘whipped’ like texture when the chives are added.
Add in your chives, give it a good mix and set aside.
Finely slice your radishes, try incorporate a range of colours if you can. I used cherry belle, daikon, and French breakfast. Set aside.
Drain your capers, set aside.
Toast your sourdough.
A S S E M B L I N G:
Smother on your chive butter and arrange your radishes on top, the more the merrier.
Next, evenly distribute your dollops of pesto.
Garnish with amples of capers and chives for that crunch. Finish with a dusting freshly cracked black pepper.
