Make Ahead

Mini Potato Rosti with Caviar and Sour Cream

by:
November 22, 2010
4.7
3 Ratings
Mini Potato Rosti with Caviar and Sour Cream
  • Makes 12 mini rosti
Author Notes

Before Moving to New York, Jon and I lived in Warsaw, where Halloween wasn’t such a big deal, but All Souls, the day after Halloween, really, really was.

The entire city seemed to migrate to the graveyards and embark upon a cleaning and decorating project – starting with family graves, then graves near the family graves, then other graves that looked like they needed some care and attention.

By late afternoon, leaves had been swept away, stone work had been cleaned, statues had been scrubbed with toothbrushes, brass railings had been polished, and then, as a final mark of remembrance and respect, votive candles were laid on the ground.

The little flames flickered in the gathering dusk, inviting the passer-by to stop, reflect and remember.

And then we went home to eat potatoes and sour cream.

Potato rosti take me back to Poland in one bite.

Rosti usually involve both grating and frying – both of which can seem like a step too far some days, I know. And honestly, boiled new potatoes cut in half lengthwise and smothered with sour cream and caviar are a delicious alternative. But I’m looking for crunch, so I persevere.

And while I can’t think of a short cut for the grating – though a food-processor will do the job, providing the grater attachment can be located, by which time it would usually have been quicker for me just to grate the potato in the first place – but the frying? Totally.

I bake my rosti in a thin layer in the bottom of muffin tins. This has the added bonus of creating lots of rosti at the same time that are all the same shape – perfect for a party canapé. - MakeThatMakeThis —MakeThatMakeThis

Test Kitchen Notes

If only 30 minutes stand between you and your guests’ arrival, and you’re still in need of both an appetizer and a shower, turn to this recipe. Grate the potatoes, season and squeeze them, shape a dozen baby rostis in the bottom of a muffin tin and bake while you clean yourself up. Moments after you slip into your little black dress, dollop these savory bases with classic toppings to impress with simple sophistication. —cheese1227

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 Idaho potatoes
  • 1 large white onion
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 small tub of black caviar (I use the cheap stuff because it's really no more than a salty accent)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Grate the potatoes into a bowl
  3. Peel the onion, cut in half and grate into the bowl
  4. Season generously with salt and pepper
  5. Tip into a tea towel and wring out until as dry as possible
  6. Wipe a layer of oil around the muffin tin to stop the rosti from sticking
  7. Press 1 tbsp of potato mixture firmly into the bottom of each hole (it should come about 1cm up the side of the tin)
  8. Put a tiny knob of butter on top (about 1/4 tsp) - the butter helps the rosti brown, but add too much and they'll be greasy
  9. Bake for about 20 mins, depending on the thickness of the potato
  10. Turn out so that the nice flat bottom is now the top
  11. Top with a blob of sour cream and a little pile of caviar
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12 Reviews

Qwe123az
Qwe123az April 13, 2023
Thanks for this perfect recipe, I love it! Your recipe and caviar from kingdomcaviar.com makes this dish even more delicious.
 
allie
allie December 9, 2010
Does it work to make them ahead of time? (Oh, how I wish I had seen this recipe before Hanukah!)
 
Dee
Dee November 23, 2010
I love love love potatoes, of any kind. But I'm no cook... So before I make any dish to bring to the Thanksgiving-Eve table tomorrow night, I wanted to try a quick trial, see if I could do this. You know what? Everyone loved it! I live with some other people, and they all came out when the lovely smell wafted out of the oven-- and my little rosti's were gone! You're so right: "looking for crunch". It makes all the difference. So, now I'll have to make another batch to take with me tomorrow. But I can be sure they'll be a hit. (And people will think I can cook!) Thanks so much Make That Make This. I'll definitely be back for more! --Dee.
 
MakeThatMakeThis
MakeThatMakeThis November 24, 2010
I'm so glad that you enjoyed them! They're so cute, aren't they? I'm new to this site and I'm not sure what the etiquette is about shameless self promotion, but this recipe came from my blog, www.makethatmakethis,com - you might like some of the other ideas that I have there ...
Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Kayb
Kayb November 23, 2010
You know...you could pre-bake the bottoms, then top with an egg, some meat of your choice, and some cream and cheese, and bake again until the egg whites were set, and the yolks runny, and oh, what a brunch dish!
 
MakeThatMakeThis
MakeThatMakeThis November 23, 2010
That sounds delicious. I wish I was coming to your hypothetical brunch!
 
Kayb
Kayb November 23, 2010
What an absolutely brilliant idea! I may never fry another latke/rosti!
 
Sarah1985
Sarah1985 November 23, 2010
Very sylish easy canape - my friends were very impressed! Thanks
 
MakeThatMakeThis
MakeThatMakeThis November 23, 2010
Thank you! I've been making them a lot since Easter too. They're just so cute. Love the version with red onion slices at the bottom of the tray too - they're very pretty once they've been turned out.
 
drbabs
drbabs November 23, 2010
Baking in a muffin pan--great idea! Your picture is beautiful!
 
MakeThatMakeThis
MakeThatMakeThis November 23, 2010
Thank you. I'm really glad you like the idea.
 
MakeThatMakeThis
MakeThatMakeThis November 22, 2010
If you can make that you can make this:

* Swap out the caviar for smoked salmon
* Or smoked fish
* Mix chopped chives and a squeeze of lemon into the sour cream
* Mix chopped chives a squeeze of lemon, chopped dill and chopped smoked salmon into the sour cream
* Add a few tsp of thyme into the potato mix
* Use garlic oil instead of the oil and butter
* Top with crispy bacon slices and poached eggs for breakfast
* Take the onion out of the mixture and instead cut a small red onion into rings and place a ring into the bottom of each muffin tray before topping with the potato. When you turn them out, they’ll have a dark onion ring adorning the top