There is more to Swiss food than cheese fondue and chocolate. Rösti, for example, is considered a national dish by many Swiss people. It was a common breakfast dish for Swiss farmers, but today, Rösti is enjoyed by people all over the world at any time of the day.
Rösti is essentially a potato pancake made by frying grated potatoes in oil. A dish made with potatoes only may not sound super tempting. My variation calls for cheese and cured meat, to add more flavors to the dish. Crispy and golden on the outside, oozing with cheese, the Rösti is super hearty and satisfying!
Ingredients (serves 2-4):
- 2 large potatoes (450g peeled)
- 100g mozzarella cheese, grated/chopped
- 70g pancetta, chopped
- 1 tbs cornstarch
- salt pepper to taste
Instrcutions:
Peel and grate potatoes into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the potatoes rest for about 5 minutes, then squeeze as much liquid as possible out of them (paper towel may help). Add chopped mozzarella cheese, pancetta and cornstarch, toss and mix.
Heat a lightly greased non-stick pan (smaller size), add Rösti mixture. Press the mixture to make an even layer covering the whole pan. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 min (with lid on).
Carefully flip it, continue cooking for about 5-10 mins, until both sides are golden and crispy.
Notes:
- You can use cheddar cheese or any kind of cheese you prefer.
- Substitute bacon for pancetta if desired.
- No need to add much salt because cured meat provides saltiness.
- If you are not confident enough to flip Rösti in the pan, slide Rösti onto a plate, cover it with the pan, then flip the plate over.
- You can pan fry pancetta/bacon until crispy if you prefer such texture. Cooking the potato pancake with rendered fat is a good idea.
Sprinkle Rösti with chopped chives, scallions, or parsley if desired. Enjoy when it’s hot.
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, loaded with flavors.
The Rösti is tasty by itself, but you can serve it with sour cream, ketchup, smoked salmon and sunny side up eggs to make a really wholesome, filling brunch 🙂
