Cooking with Max Rocha: Radishes, Rye Crackers and Anchovies

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Max Rocha recipe anchovies and radishes
Photography courtesy of Max Rocha

London-based chef Max Rocha’s latest weekly recipe makes the most of breakfast radishes, which are at their best at this time of year

TextMax Rocha

Max Rocha is a London-based chef who has worked at some of London’s finest restaurants, from St John Bread and Wine to The River Café. Over the coming weeks, he will share a series of seasonal recipes to enjoy at home.

This week’s recipe is radishes, rye crackers and anchovies. If you don’t have a pasta machine, a rolling pin or wine bottle will work for making the crackers. The anchoide – an emulsion of anchovy and oil – recipe comes from my good friend Tim, who cooks with me a lot. We met while working at St John Bread and Wine. Breakfast radishes are at the height of season so make the most of them if you can.

Rye Crackers

150 grams rye flour
100 grams plain flour, plus extra for dusting
50 grams wholemeal flour
Sea salt
150 millilitres of cold water
Five tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
  2. Combine flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
  3. Incorporate water to form a dough, working it for five minutes.
  4. Cover with cling film and allow to rest.
  5. While the dough is resting, cut parchment paper the size of your baking tray.
  6. If you have a pasta machine, roll the dough out as thin as you can without it breaking and cut into rectangles and place on parchment paper.
  7. If you don’t have a pasta machine, cut the dough into eight pieces and roll out with a rolling pin as thin as you can.
  8. Brush crackers with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  9. Cook for eight to ten minutes, or to your liking, and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Anchoide

15 salt anchovy fillets
Two teaspoons Dijon mustard
Two egg yolks
Juice of half a lemon
Three teaspoons balsamic vinegar
250 millilitres vegetable oil
100 millilitres olive oil

  1. Place all ingredients apart from the oil into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Slowly add oils to emulsify in the same way you would make a mayonnaise.

To serve

Refresh the radishes in ice water and allow to dry on a paper towel. Serve on a plate alongside four of your crackers and a nice dollop of anchoide. 

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