An absolute must-have for breakfast on weekends or as a simple and delicious side, Joey Hilty of Pittsburgh’s The Vandal elevates a traditional Potato Rösti by bejeweling the crispy dish with trout roe, crème fraîche, and sprinkles of chives and dill.
What is Rösti?
This dish comes from the central European cuisine, where you need robust flavors and filling dishes to combat the cold winters. You’ll find it at Swiss tables high in the mountains, from chalets to small Alpine villages, though it originated as a breakfast dish in the Alpine city of Bern. The secret to a good potato rösti is not in the potatoes themselves, but in the use of clarified butter for extra flavor, and patient cooking to achieve crispiness.
Potato Rösti Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb (about 10) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and placed in cold water
- Coarse salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup clarified butter (for potatoes)
- Crème fraîche
- Chopped dill
- Chopped chives
- Trout roe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Shred potatoes on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap potatoes in a clean kitchen towel; squeeze out liquid. Place in a medium bowl; toss with salt and pepper.
- Heat half the butter in a 9- or 10-inch ovenproof nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Spread the potatoes in pan evenly; press down with a spatula to flatten cake. Cook until the bottom is golden and turning crisp, about 18 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat. Invert cake onto a plate; slide back into pan. Return to heat, and spoon remaining butter around edges of pan. Cook until other side begins to get crisp, about 10 minutes, shaking pan several times to loosen.
- Transfer to oven until cooked through and tender in the center, about 12 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, a spoonful of trout roe, and as much herbage as possible.
Recipe by Joey Hilty, The Vandal / Photography Dave Bryce / Styling Keith Recker
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