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Turnip, cheddar and quince rose

By: Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 9 Nov 22
Updated: 9 Oct 24

This turnip, cheddar and quince rose makes a beautiful vegetarian starter. It’s easy to make and showcases an often-forgotten vegetable that deserves far more attention.

Browse more delicious vegetarian Christmas recipes.

Easy
November 2022

Test kitchen approved

Serves 1
Hands-on time 20 min, plus soaking. Oven time 25 min

This turnip, cheddar and quince rose makes a beautiful vegetarian starter. It’s easy to make and showcases an often-forgotten vegetable that deserves far more attention.

Browse more delicious vegetarian Christmas recipes.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 161kcals
Fat: 10.7g (4.7g saturated)
Protein: 11.2g
Carbohydrates: 4.1g (2.5g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 0.4g

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Ingredients

1 turnip, peeled and very finely sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)
1 medium free-range egg
1 heaped tsp crème fraîche
10g cheddar, finely grated
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 tsp membrillo (quince paste)

You’ll also need

11cm crumpet ring or egg ring

Useful to have

Mandoline

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Method

Put the turnip slices in a bowl and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Leave to soften for 10 minutes. Line the crumpet/egg ring with a piece of baking paper that comes up and over the edges of the ring, then sit it on a baking tray. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, crème fraîche and cheese. Season with salt and pepper, add half the thyme and set aside.
Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Drain the turnip slices, season with a pinch of salt, then lay them out in a line, with each half overlapping the previous slice. Thinly spread the quince paste over the length of the slices. Pour the egg mixture into the lined ring. Slowly roll up the slices of turnip to create a cylinder shape. This can be a bit fiddly, but it’s fine if you take it slow – just try to start the roll as tight as possible.
Sit the roll on its flat end in the egg mixture – it should slightly unfurl and create a rose shape. Scatter over the remaining thyme, then bake for 20-25 minutes until set and a light golden brown.

Recipe from November 2022 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 161kcals
Fat: 10.7g (4.7g saturated)
Protein: 11.2g
Carbohydrates: 4.1g (2.5g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 0.4g

delicious. tips

You can easily up the quantities of this recipe to make multiple roses.
Chill the cooked rose for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month. Defrost, then reheat in a low oven.