Crispy Potato Rösti | with Pickled Beetroot Salad and a Fried Egg
Having spent the majority of my childhood in Switzerland, rösti holds a lot of comfort for me. During this health craze the Western world seems to be going through, sometimes we just need turn the dial back and fry of some waxy potatoes in heaps of butter. Cold weather seems to set off a very primordial need for comfort food and a bit of decadence. This time of year is for butter not for oil! In my mind anyway.
Rösti serves as a fantastic platform for a whole host of meals. One of my personal favourites, a Swedish twist, is to serve with smoked salmon and dollop of creme fraiche laced with chives or dill. For this rösti I served it with a fried egg and a pickled beetroot salad. Such a simple combination, but so satisfying. Rich, soft-yolked egg provides the perfect sauce and sharp pickled beetroot cuts through that delicious richness.
Ingredients
2 large, waxy potatoes
2 tbsp of butter
salt and pepper
Serve with
2 eggs
a few pickled beetroot, from a jar
2 handfuls of spinach
4-5 generous chunks of feta cheese
Preparation
- Parboil the potatoes in generously salted water until just tender. Set aside to cool completely. The longer you allow them to cool, the easier it is to grate them.
- Once the potatoes have cooled, coarsely grate them into a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Add the first tbsp of butter into a large, non-stick frying pan set to medium heat.
- Once the butter is sizzling, add the grated potato. Stir the potato through the butter, coating it well.
- After 1-2 minutes, shape the potato into a pancake shape. Press down lightly.
- Continue to cook the rösti for 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Using a plate, invert the rösti onto it.
- Add the second half of the butter, allow it to melt completely. Then slide the rösti back into the plate to cook on the other, uncooked side.
- Again, cook for 10 minutes until golden brown.
- When there is five minutes left on the rösti, in a separate pan, fry the two eggs.
- I find the best way is to cook the egg on a medium-low heat with a small knob of butter or drizzle of oil. Cover the pan with a lid to set the egg white whilst keeping the yolk runny.
- Serve the rösti and egg with a side salad of spinach, a few slices of pickled beetroot and feta cheese.
- Make sure to season your salad and egg too.
- Enjoy!
