Baked Potato Flower Cake

The Baked Potato Flower Cake is a delicious dish that, with its charming presentation, warms the heart and delights the palate. Here is the recipe to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of potatoes
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 80 g of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh thyme to taste (or other aromatic herbs as desired)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Milk as needed
• Nutmeg to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Wash the potatoes and peel them. Then, slice them thinly, about 2 mm thick. To get uniform slices, I suggest using a mandoline.
3. In a bowl, mix the potato slices with the melted butter, finely chopped garlic, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and crumbled thyme. If you wish, add a pinch of nutmeg.
4. In a preferably round baking dish, pack the potato slices to form a complete circle, slightly overlapping each slice over the other, to create that “flower” effect.
5. After filling the whole dish, pour some milk over it, up to about half the height of the potatoes.
6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 45-60 minutes.
7. After this time, remove the foil and increase the temperature to 200 °C, letting the surface brown for another 10-15 minutes, until you get a crunchy and golden crust.
8. Once ready, let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

This potato cake is an excellent side dish that pairs perfectly with meat or even with a rich salad, for a complete and balanced meal.

Curiosity

This recipe lends itself to numerous variations: for example, you can enrich the filling with speck, ham, or other cheeses for an extra touch of taste. The beauty of this dish lies as much in its flavor as in its presentation, reminiscent of the petals of a freshly bloomed flower.