Röstis originate from 16th Century Bern where they were a traditional breakfast dish for agricultural workers. Spread all around Germanic Europe, they are often eaten as a side dish to spinach and eggs, sausages and meat loaf. Rösti are now considered to be the national dish of Switzerland. The border between German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland (around Freiburg) has been known as the ‘Röstigraben,’ or ‘Rösti ditch’ since World War 1.
Rösti
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp duck or goose fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Parboil the potatoes for 6 mins. Drain and cool completely.
Grate the potatoes and season.
Heat half the fat in a small frying pan and add the grated potato. Toss in the oil and cook for a minute before arranging and flattening into a cake. Cook for about 10 mins on a medium heat until golden, shaking the pan now and then to make sure the rösti does not stick.
To turn the rösti over, slide it out onto a plate, put another plate on top and flip over. Heat the remaining fat in the pan and slide the rösti back in to cook the other side.
Notes
As a quick lunch, a rösti is perfect with a fried egg on top.
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