Smoked Bacon Cauliflower Röstis

So I was in the mood for something I hadn’t had in a loooong time: Smoked Bacon Röstis! Perhaps the Internet was to blame, I don’t know…

I think I may have seen a picture somewhere or something. Oh, yes, right! I remember now! One of my favorite fellow bloggers, Mellissa of I Breathe I’m Hungry, recently posted this recipe for Celeriac, Bacon and Parmesan Rosti. <– This, is totally responsible for that ^ craving.

Technically, I very well could’ve gone ahead and made the real thing, since white potatoes are now Whole30 approved. But to be honest, I don’t really agree with that rule. Truth is, I’m not a fan of white potatoes. Oh, they sure taste good, but they do so little for your body in the nutrition department and have such a high Glycemic Index, I pretty much think of them as a treat.

And we all know that treats and Whole30 do not walk hand in hand…

Sooooo, I chose to make my röstis with cauliflower, instead of potatoes. And you know what? These Smoked Bacon Cauliflower Röstis turned out every bit just as good as the real deal. Crispy on the exterior, creamy on the interior, with delicious notes of smokey bacon, mordant onion and a rich, cheese-like finale.

Now I’m not gonna lie to you. These are a real witch to make. And by that, I actually mean BITCH! They are somewhat time consuming, relatively labor intensive and demand to be handled with much delicate care.

But let me tell you: they are very well worth the effort!

First we need to cook some bacon. I take it you all know how to do that, but hey… why pass on an opportunity to drool over pictures of bacon?

So set a heavy skillet (I really like to use cast iron for this) over medium heat and cook the bacon until it gets nice and crispy. Try not to eat it all right off the pan!

While that bacon is cooking, keep your mind and fingers occupied: cut the cauliflower into little florets and add it to the bowl of your food processor.

Process the cauliflower on pulse until it has the texture of coarse gravel; you may want to work in 2 to 3 batches here so to not overcrowd the bowl.

Transfer the cauliflower to a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, including the bacon (leave the fat in the pan, though, we’ll use it to fry the röstis later) and mix with a large spoon until well combined.

Place the skillet (with the bacon fat in it) back over the heat source.

Set that knob to medium and, when the pan is hot enough, carefully drop about 1/2 of a cup of the cauliflower mixture for each rösti. If you can, pack that mixture real good before to drop it in the pan.

Shape the röstis directly in the pan and press them lightly with a flat spatula to help them stick together.

Cook the röstis for 3 to 4 minutes, until a golden crust develops, then carefully flip them with a spatula, supporting them with your free hand as you flip.

Note that the fritters are extremely delicate at this stage, so you need to manipulate them extra carefully. Be gentle!

Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the röstis are completely set and golden brown.

Unless you have a skillet fit for a giant, you will most probably have to cook your röstis in 3 to 4 batches.

Don’t forget to add an ample amount of ghee (or other healthy cooking fat of your choice) to the skillet and let it come up in temperature between each batch.

That’s the key to success!

While extremely fragile and delicate during the cooking process, these röstis become sturdy enough that you can handle them with a single hand once cooked…

…and then tear them into little pieces to eat them with your fingers. That’s the way I like to eat mine!

Can you get a sense of how crispy these get? Now just try and imagine how crazy good they taste.

You better eat them while they are still fresh, though. They do reheat fairly well but will lose some of that crispiness.

If you need to reheat them, the best way to do that is to throw them in a hot skillet with a little bit of fat and cook them exactly like you did the first time, except this time, 30 seconds per side will suffice… and you won’t need to be quite as gentle!

Did I tell you just how fantastic these are at breakfast? OH baby yeah! If you needed an incentive to get out of bed, this is it right here!

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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Bacon Cauliflower Röstis

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Crispy on the exterior, creamy on the interior, with delicious notes of bacon, onion and a cheese-like finale, these Smoked Bacon Cauliflower Rostis are every bit as good as the real deal!

Servings: 12 röstis

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices smoked bacon, cooked until crispy
• 1 large head cauliflower, grated (about 600g | 1.3lb)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
• 2-3 tbsp ghee for pan frying

Instructions

• Set a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat and cook the bacon until it gets nice and crispy.
• Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into little florets and add it to the bowl of your food processor. Process on pulse until the cauliflower has the texture of coarse gravel; you may want to work in 2 to 3 batches so to not overcrowd the bowl. Transfer the cauliflower to a large mixing bowl.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, including the bacon (leave the fat in the pan, though) and mix with a large spoon until well combined.
• Place the skillet (with the bacon fat in it) back over the heat source. Set that knob to medium and, when the pan is hot enough, carefully drop about 1/2 of a cup of mixture for each rösti. If you can, pack that mixture real good before to drop it in the pan. Then, shape the röstis directly in the pan and press them lightly with a spatula to help them stick together.
• Cook the röstis for 3 to 4 minutes, until a golden crust develops, then carefully flip the fritters with a spatula, supporting them with your free hand as you flip them and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• You will have to cook the röstis in 3 or 4 batches, depending on the size of your pan. Add ghee (or other cooking fat of your choice) to the skillet and let it come up in temperature between each batch.
• Keep the cooked röstis in a warm oven while you work on the others.
• Serve warm with yet even more ghee.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 185mg, Potassium: 195mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 148IU, Vitamin C: 25mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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