June 13, 2013
Rosti Potatoes are a traditional Swiss dish that takes coarsely grated potatoes and pan-fries them to crispy perfection. This is a total treat for Dad, a wedge of these on his plate will be a hit, trust me. Even better, serve it along side this roasted lamb with fresh herbs.
This recipe is so easy—you’re pretty much making a hash brown the size of your head. I prefer using Yukon Gold potatoes because you don’t have to peel them and right now these new potatoes have nice thin skin.
Serves 4-6
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
2 shallots
¼ grape seed oil
Fresh chives
Kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
Grate washed potatoes with a box grater set on the larger grate side, placing the grater over a clean dishtowel. When you get down to the nubs of the potatoes, just discard them— it’s not worth grating your fingers.
When you have grated all of your potatoes, gather them up in the dishtowel and give them a good squeeze to release all the excess water. Then lay the towel into a colander to let any excess water drip out and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon kosher salt. A few minutes later give the potatoes one more good squeeze.
Grate the two shallots on the smaller side of the box grater. Use a spoon to scrape all of the shallots—they add so much flavor. Mix the shallots in with squeezed out potatoes.
Heat a 10.5” non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the grape seed oil to the pan and give a swirl, when the oil creates waves in the pan, then add the potatoes.
Make an even layer, using your hands to carefully press down the potatoes. It should continue to sizzle. Hit the top with some freshly ground cracked pepper to taste—I’m pretty generous with it. Push down with a fork from time to time as the potatoes cook.
Use a soft silicone spatula to peek and see how it’s coming along; you’re looking for an even, golden-brown color. It’s crazy how the potatoes will start to come together creating a solid cake. After about 12 minutes give it a flip—if you’re nervous about flipping it up in the air, you can invert it onto a plate and then slide it back into the pan with a spatula.
Cook for another 8-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip onto a serving plate and garnish with chopped fresh chives, it complements the flavors of the shallots beautifully. If you have chive blossoms in your garden sprinkle them on top, just because your cooking for a dude doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty.
Finish with sea salt and serve.
