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Potato Rösti

Swiss Potato Dish

Course Breakfast, Main
Cuisine Swiss
Keyword potatoes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 300/400 grams Potato per person
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tblesp Ghee

Instructions

  1. Start by peeling and grating your potatoes into a bowl. I allow 300 to 400 grams per person and prefer to cook in a smaller frying pan (I use an 8 inch pan). You can use a box grater for your potatoes, however, I am really lazy and use my food processor as it whizzes through the work in possibly a tenth of the time it would take me to hand grate it.
  2. Once grated I then squeeze out most of the excess liquid. I don't use the tea towel method as I want to retain some of the moisture as it helps cook the potatoes in the inside of the rösti. Then I will cover the potatoes until I need them. Sometimes they will oxidise and change colour (slightly red or purple) but as soon as you cook them that disappears.
  3. Before cooking the rösti then I add my salt and ghee before adding to a warmed frying pan. I like to add around 3cm of grated potato and compress slightly during the cooking process with a spatula. You don't want to press it too hard as you want to retain the texture. Fo me the cooking takes around 25 minutes in total, so around 12 mins each side on a medium heat. I cook on a medium-high heat for the last couple of minutes on each side to give a lovely golden finish to the rösti.
  4. When it comes to flipping the rösti I use a wooden chopping or cutting board larger than my pan and place it on top and then flip it cover before sliding it back into the frying pan. I really think a good non stick frying or skillet pan is essential for sliding out your rösti out in one piece. If you are making more than one rösti you can keep it warm in the oven but it will lose some of the crispness.

  5. Swiss rösti is versatile and traditionally served with:

    Fried egg, bacon, cheese, onions or mushrooms .

    It’s commonly a side dish to hearty mains like sausages or spinach and eggs 

Recipe Notes

  • Clarified butter or ghee has a higher smoke point and delivers crispier, golden rösti compared to regular butter.

  • Mixing goose fat and butter is also a traditional Swiss method to balance flavour and crispiness

  • Flavour Enhancements: Include bacon, caramelised onions, and melted cheese fora  richer taste.

  • For fluffier center, parboil and chill potatoes.

  • For maximum crisp, use plenty of fat and don’t pack the potatoes tightly.

  • Safer flip: use a board with a handle or ask a family member to assist.