Potato Rosti - Swiss Potato Pancakes - Pommes Rösti
ingredients
Yields 4, for 2 people
- 4 medium sized potatoes, cooked
- 1-2 tbsp fat for frying. I prefer clarified butter.
- salt (½ teaspoon)
- pepper to taste.
optional ingredients
- fried bacon, onion, cheese, fresh herbs or apple
Directions
Grate the potatoes on the coarsest grater.
Mix in the optional ingredients and spices.
Collect them into a loose lump. Be a bit carefull. Do not knead.
Divide into four equal portions.
Shape each portion to a flat patty. About 10 cm (4 inch) wide, so you can fit four into your frying pan at a time.
Heat the pan and add the fat. Be aware that they will suck all the fat out of the pan, so you can use too much.
Fry at medium high temperature. Once you have found the right setting on the stove it will typically take 10 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other.
Notes
Some recipes says to use "parboiled", ie partially cooked potatoes. I've tried using both fully and partially cooked potatoes. If they are of the size that I recommend in this recipe, there is no difference whatsoever in the final result. If you want to make rosti the size of an entire frying pan, and there are no rules against that, then the potatoes must be completely cooked. Otherwise, you risk half cooked potato in the middle of it.
When the potatoes are cooked you can make the rosti as thick as you like, and you can brown them as much as you want. If they are too thick and the pan is very hot, you run the risk that they will be very brown on the outside but cold on the inside. So the thicker they are, the lower the cooking temperature.
I usually make mine between ½ and 1½ cm (1/4 and 1/2 inch) thick. The crust gives the most of the flavor, so I do not like them too thick.
