Prep time:

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 10

350g floury potatoes (2-3 medium potatoes)

75g mature cheddar, grated

75g mozzarella cheese, grated

2 eggs

salt and pepper, to taste

3tbsp plain flour

3tbsp fine breadcrumbs

30g butter (this is for shallow frying, but you could deep fry your chicks in oil)

100g cream cheese

100g finely grated cheddar cheese (for the chicks’ feathery fluff)

20 peppercorns for chick eyes

1 carrot, sliced and cut into chick feet and beaks

150g coconut, coloured with green food colouring – optional ‘grass’ base for chicks to stand on

Almost too cute to eat, these are surprisingly easy to make and have gone down well with my testers, as the main ingredients are cheese and potato.

  1. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes then place in boiling water and cook until soft. Remove from the heat, drain and mash. Mix in the cheddar and mozzarella cheese, add one of the eggs and combine. Shape the mixture into 10 balls (depending on how chubby you like your chicks).
  2. Roll the potato balls in flour,
    then dip in egg, roll in breadcrumbs and fry for a few minutes in butter until beginning to crisp. I shallow fried these, but you could also deep fat fry them for five minutes.
  3. While the balls are cooling cut beaks and feet from pieces of sliced carrot.
  4. Once cool, spread a thin layer of cream cheese over each ball, then sprinkle with finely grated cheese until they look ‘fluffy’. Poke beaks and peppercorn eyes into position, rest on carrot feet and serve.

  • words:
  • pictures: David Merewether

You may also like

Savoury gingerbread & local Camembert (Winnie’s Wheel)

To make this canapé you can use shop-bought gingerbread, but I prefer something a bit more savoury.

Parma ham basket with labneh, truffle or herb oil & Jerusalem artichoke crisp

A complex canapé with multiple elements, but the wow factor lies in the surprisingly simple-to-make basket.

Chilli beef, mozzarella & chilli jam bruschetta

A super easy canapé that can be elevated with homemade bread and chutney or simplified using shop-bought ingredients. The flexibility makes it ideal for both casual gatherings and more polished events.