The humble spud — satisfying, comforting, and reliable. Just because potatoes are cheap doesn’t mean they can’t be sexy. Enter Rösti — just one more way to love a potato. Rösti (pronounced ROOSH-tee) is simply grated potatoes pressed into a sizzling, well-oiled pan.
They’re traditionally served flat, but I’ve nudged them into a little potato nest with a ring of chopped bacon and a coin of goat cheese. A perfectly poached egg would work nicely too. The tricky part of this dish is making sure both the top and bottom are crispy. This involves flipping the potatoes — but don’t panic — a dinner plate makes the job easy. When the potatoes are crisp on the bottom, cover the pan with a plate, flip the pan onto the plate, then slide the rösti (now on the plate) back into the pan, crispy side up. It’s that simple. I use a small, well-seasoned, cast iron pan for this dish. Make sure your pan has a non-stick surface so the potatoes come out in one piece. Keep in mind, the smaller the pan, the easier to flip.
Originally published in Eat Magazine’s Sept/Oct 2012 issue.
Serves 1 to 2
■ 1 large new or Yukon Gold potato, washed (no need to peel)
■ 1/2 shallot, grated
■ generous pinch of Kosher salt
■ 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, rendered bacon or duck fat
■ 1 Tbsp of goat cheese
■ 2 slices cooked bacon, drained on a paper towel and diced
■ feshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, add the potato and enough water to cover the potato by one inch. Bring the water to a gentle boil and parboil (partially cook) the potato for about 8 minutes until the potato is still firm when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove the potato from the hot water and plunge into cool water to stop the cooking and cool the potato.
Grate the potato into a bowl and combine it with the shallot and Kosher salt.
In a small non-stick pan (cast iron is ideal) heat the oil until shimmering. Add the grated potato, leveling with a spatula. When the bottom is well browned, place a plate on top of the skillet, flip the pan onto the plate to release the potatoes, then slide the potatoes from the plate back into the hot pan. Cook until well browned, then nudge the sides of the potato into a little nest with your spatula. Slide the rösti onto a clean plate, season with Kosher salt and garnish with goat cheese (or a poached egg), chopped bacon, and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve immediately.
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