Name: Radish Baguette with Chive Butter and Salt
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 10 tablespoons cultured European-style unsalted butter , softened; 6 tablespoons minced fresh chives; Salt and pepper; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaf; 1 (18-inch) baguette , halved lengthwise; 8 ounces radishes , trimmed and sliced thin; Coarse finishing salt

Why This Recipe Works

The French (of course) make the trio of radishes, butter, and salt a rustic-chic snack, spreading a generous amount of butter on a fresh baguette and layering on radishes. For our version, we left the baguette whole, which allowed us to shingle lots of radish slices on top in a pretty fish scale pattern for radish flavor in every bite. We created a simple compound butter with chives and rich and tangy cultured European-style butter that was an ultraflavorful adhesive. We liked topping off the radishes with an additional component: a parsley salad, which provided brightness and visual contrast. But while the simple freshness of all these ingredients made our tartine special, the component that brought it all together was, actually, the most granular: the finishing sprinkle of coarse salt. The salinity of a sprinkling is necessary, but it's also the crunch that makes the dish—a crunch that's different from the fresh snap of radish and is instead a shattering bite of flaky grains against the frilly herb salad.

Before You Begin

You can use your preferred coarse finishing salt in this recipe.

Instructions

Combine butter, ¼ cup chives, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons chives, lemon juice, and oil together in second bowl. Add parsley and toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste.

Spread butter mixture over cut sides of baguette. Shingle radishes evenly over butter and top with parsley salad. Cut baguette crosswise into 12 pieces and sprinkle with finishing salt to taste. Serve.