seared radish crostini

i mentioned awhile ago melissa clark's revelatory discovery that radishes are fantastic when oven-roasted, but had not actually tried her recipe for seared radish crostini. i think i'm a little freaked out by any recipe that asks me to sear stuff--it just sounds a little too iron chef for me, somehow.

but! conquer your fears. searing radishes mellows them out but not nearly to the extent of oven-roasting. it allows them to retain some of the bite that we know and love them for, loosened up around the edges but still snappy in the middle. this is a dolled-up version of the favorite slivered radish+salt+buttered baguette french "sandwich."

i tweaked melissa's butter component a little, removing the anchovies (i love anchovies but, at the risk of sounding like the biggest cooking phobe ever, am a little squeamish at the prospect of cooking with them), nixing the parsley and throwing in some lemon (duh).
seared radish crostini
adapted from melissa clark for the new york times
serves 4 as an appetizer

• 1 bunch radishes
• 7 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for sprinkling
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• several generous pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 8 thin slices crusty bread, toasted

remove leaves and stems from radishes; trim the tails. cut larger radishes lengthwise into sixths and smaller radishes lengthwise into quarters.
place a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. add 1 tablespoon oil, radishes in a single layer (do not crowd) and salt and pepper. cook radishes, without moving them, until they are lightly colored on undersides, about 3 minutes. shake pan and continue cooking until tender, about 3 more minutes.
in a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. stir in garlic, red pepper and remaining oil. reduce heat and simmer about 4 minutes. stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.

generously brush each slice of toast with sauce and top with several radish wedges. spoon additional sauce on top, sprinkle with additional salt and lemon, if desired, and serve immediately.