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Crispy potato roses – a truly gorgeous side-dish

Crispy potato roses – a truly gorgeous side-dish
These have to be among the most beautiful things I’ve ever made, and I’m 100% sure they’re the most beautiful thing I’ve created using potatoes. They were almost too gorgeous to eat. Great edible blossoms adorning the plate. Even Kipper thought they looked, “Soooo pretty, Mummy!”
They are based on apple roses (which are all over Pinterest if you want to find them) only made of potato (obviously). I found a ‘how to’ Pin on Pinterest for these, but when I clicked through, I found a recipe for something else. Eh? Fortunately, it wasn’t rocket science to work out how they’re put together.
Did I mention they’re beautiful. Take a look.
They are a bit fiddly to make, but nothing too terrible. Just make sure you have plenty of time, and that you slice the potatoes extremely thinly. I did them in the food processor, but you could also use a mandolin. Make sure they aren’t more than 2-3mm thick.
I used red skinned potatoes, which looked lovely when the potato roses were raw, but I’m not sure you could tell the difference once they were cooked. The potatoes should be smallish though, otherwise the petals will be too large. Choose spuds that are about 5-6cm across.
I made 10 potato roses, which was plenty for the three of us. Aim for 2-3 roses per person. Lovely.

Ingredients
  • Approx 400g floury potatoes to mash
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Approx 550g small potatoes for the roses
  • 3 tbsp olive oil + a little extra for oiling the tin
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Peel the potatoes for mashing. Cut into small dice, rinse and place in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft.
  2. Drain well, and mash thoroughly. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the egg yolk and mix well. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, scrub the small potatoes thoroughly and slice thinly. The slices should be no more than 2-3mm thick.
  4. Place the potato slices into a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly so that all the slices are coated in the oil.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  6. Brush the inside of each of 10 holes in a 12-hole muffin tin with oil. Divide the mashed potato between the oiled holes.
  7. Now, lay out about 10 slices of potato in a row, overlapping the slices. Start at one end and carefully roll them up, then push the rolled up sliced into the mashed potato in one of the holes. If necessary, arrange a few more slices around the edge to finish the 'rose'.
  8. Repeat with the remaining slices to make 9 more roses.
  9. Bake at 180C for around 45 minutes until cooked, golden and crispy. Serve at once!
Notes
See the photographs for a visual guide to making the roses.