Tender Braised Japanese Daikon Is Bursting at the Seams With Flavor

Gather the ingredients. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga The outer skin of the daikon is thick, so when removing this layer, be sure to remove both the thinner outer skin, as well as the thick layer just beneath it. This can easily be accomplished with a vegetable peeler. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Slice the daikon into pieces that are 3/4- to 1-inch thick. (Tip: Try and cut the slices as similarly as possible, which will ease the cooking process so that all the daikon cook evenly. If the daikon varies in thickness you’ll find that some daikon are more tender than others, while others might seem overcooked.) The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga After the daikon is sliced into round pieces, for aesthetic purposes, trim a thin strip all along the bottom and top edges of each daikon piece, essentially "rounding out" each piece. This small step really makes a difference in the appearance of the daikon. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga In a medium pot, add the daikon slices with dashi stock, sugar, and soy sauce and sake (reserve the mirin for later use). The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Skim any foam and impurities from the surface. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the daikon pieces are tender in the center and slightly brown in color after having absorbed the soy sauce. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Before all of the dashi is cooked away, stir in the mirin, careful not to damage the daikon. They should be very tender at this point. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Turn off heat, and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the ingredients to meld. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Serve daikon pieces, with or without some of the simmering liquid, in small individual plates. Enjoy! The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga