Oven baked potato nests topped with crisp radish, apple and beetroot matchsticks are a welcoming change to traditional appetisers or hors dóeuvres for pre-Christmas entertaining.
4largefloury potatoes, (approximately 700g or 1.5 lb, I used agria potatoes), peeled and grated
1tablespoonrice flour, (or plain flour if not gluten free)
½teaspoonsalt
Freshly ground black pepper
Eggless aioli, or your favourite store bought aioli or mayonnaise
1smallbeetroot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1radish, cut into matchsticks
½apple, cut into matchsticks
Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish
Lemon zest, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200C (390F) fanbake. Lined a 12 hole muffin pan with a little square of baking paper in the bottom of each hole, and lightly brush each hole with olive oil.
Grate the potatoes onto a clean tea towel, then use the tea towel to wring out all the excess moisture over your kitchen sink. Quite a surprising amount of liquid will be released. Tip the grated potato into a mixing bowl and sprinkle over the rice flour, salt and a good grind of black pepper. Stir to coat everything evenly, then press the potato mixture evenly into the greased muffin pan. Make a little depression in the middle of each - all the better to hold the aioli which will come later.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and pop each potato nest out onto a serving platter.
Top each potato nest with about 1 teaspoon of eggless aioli (or aioli/mayonnaise of your choice), and matchsticks of beetroot, radish and apple. Sprinkle freshly grated lemon zest over the top, and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.
Serve immediately, with a glass of your favourite tipple.
Notes
Makes 12 individual potato nests.
If your thyme is young and soft, the sprig will be perfectly edible and delicious. If the thyme is from your own garden and/or older and woody, remove the leaves and sprinkle with leaves instead.
Nutrition information is calculated per potato nest, based on approximately 1 teaspoon of aioli being used per potato nest.