Victorian Tea Rose Appetizer (Printer-friendly)

Savory salami and pepperoni shaped into delicate roses served elegantly in teacups.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 18 large, thin slices salami
02 - 18 large, thin slices pepperoni

→ Garnishes

03 - 6 small porcelain teacups
04 - Fresh basil leaves or baby arugula (optional)
05 - Edible flowers such as pansies or violets (optional)

→ Board Accompaniments (optional)

06 - Assorted crackers
07 - Mild cheeses, e.g., brie or havarti
08 - Grapes or berries

# How To Make It:

01 - Place 6 salami slices in a slightly overlapping straight line on a clean surface, with each slice overlapping about one-third of the previous slice.
02 - Roll the line of salami slices tightly from one end into a spiral. Stand the roll upright and gently loosen the layers to resemble rose petals.
03 - Repeat the rolling and shaping process with 6 slices of pepperoni to create a pepperoni rose.
04 - Create a second set of each rose type, yielding 3 salami and 3 pepperoni roses in total.
05 - Optionally, place a fresh basil leaf or a few baby arugula leaves at the base of each porcelain teacup.
06 - Carefully position each meat rose inside a teacup, adjusting petals for a full, natural appearance.
07 - Optionally tuck a small edible flower into the side of each rose for decorative effect.
08 - Place teacups on a serving board and arrange optional crackers, cheeses, and fruits around them.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually only need 25 minutes and a steady hand.
  • Your guests will photograph it before eating, which means you've already won half the battle of impressive entertaining.
  • The combination of salty, savory cured meats with the slight freshness of greens in the cup creates an unexpectedly balanced bite.
02 -
  • The thinner your meat slices, the more delicate and rose-like your result will be—thick slices won't curl elegantly and will look more like spiral scrolls than flowers.
  • A light brush of olive oil mixed with fresh cracked pepper on the meat before rolling adds depth and prevents the roses from looking dry on the serving board.
  • These are best made no more than two hours before serving and stored in the refrigerator, where the meat stays pliable and the colors stay bright.
03 -
  • If your salami keeps tearing as you roll it, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes—cold meat is more brittle and will crack under tension.
  • The secret to petals that look naturally loose rather than artificially fluffed is to roll gently, stand the rose upright, and then let each petal unfold gradually as the weight and room temperature do the work for you.
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