How To Make Roasted ‘Flower Petal’ Radishes

Everyone, at some point or another, has been tempted to eat potpourri (the forbidden chip). The mixture of dried flower petals and spices always looks invitingly crunchy, if a little dusty. You should not eat potpourri, but you should eat these roasted radish slices, which will certainly scratch that itch.

Any roasted slice of radish will curl up in a manner that makes it look quite petal-like, but watermelon radish slices will look prettiest while doing so. The longer you roast them, the darker they will get, but my ideal radish petal is one that’s just browned on the edges with a vibrant pink centre. The more evenly you slice them, the more evenly they will brown.

Roasted radish petals look great on toast (avocado or other), but you can also use them on top of vegetable tarts, casseroles, or as a garnish for a nice chunk of roasted meat. They taste kind of like an angry potato chip—crispy and salty, but a little spicier and a little less starchy. To make them, you will need:

• As many radishes as you want

• Olive oil

• Salt

Heat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius, and wash and trim your radishes. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the radishes as thinly (and evenly) as you can. Put the slices in a bowl and drizzle on enough olive oil to coat. Lay the slices out in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle each slice with the tiniest pinch of salt. Roast until the edges are curled up and turn a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let drain on paper towels, then consume your vegetal potpourri.