Red Braised Daikon

Step 1

First, process the daikon. Slice off the stem and tip. Using a y-peeler, peel the daikon until no veins are visible. Cut the daikon into ½-inch-thick disks. Using the peeler again, chamfer thet top and bottom edges, rounding them off to prevent the edges of the daikon from chipping during the cook. Finally, cut shallow ⅛-inch crosses along the diameter of one side of the daikon, to allow for flavor penetration.

Step 2

Place the daikon in a medium pot with the rice. Cover with cold water by 1-inch and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the daikon, uncovered, for 30 minutes until barely fork tender. Strain and remove the daikon from the pot and set aside. Discard the liquid and the rice.

Step 3

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet or a wok over medium-high heat until barely smoking. Turn to medium. Add the ginger, scallions, garlic, and Szechuan peppercorn. Stir-fry until aromatic and golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully watching for splatter, add water and bring to a boil. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, seasoning sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Mix to combine. Add the parcooked daikon into the pot and cook, maintaining a simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the daikon with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Step 4

To finish the dish, thicken the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary. In a small bowl, combine the starch and water to form a slurry. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the starch slurry, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Ladle the sauce over the cooked daikon and serve warm with warm rice.