Carrot flowers are a novel way to cut carrots for display and decoration. They can be utilized raw as flowers in salads, hors d’oeuvres, and vegetable bouquets. They can also be chilled and held for addition into a mix of sautèed vegetables or blanched, as a finished flower garnish for finishing a plate “Flair.”

Teaching Chef achieves elegant results with a seemingly simple and easy process. To make a carrot flower, trim the end of a carrot with the tip of your paring knife to make a point, then square off the tip. Next, go around the carrot, cutting thin slices for the petals of the flower. Once you have gone completely around the carrot and loosened it, put down the knife, then hold the carrot flower vice-like between the finger and thumb of your off hand. Slowly and gently twist the cap of the flower to release the carrot-flower-to-be, without tearing off any of the petals. Once released, place your finished carrot flower into an ice bath and allow it to open up completely. Store your carrot flowers in cold water. Refrigerated, they can last up to 2-4 days. Without refrigeration, they may last only 1 day.