My Chouchoux: Rösti (Potato Pancake 瑞士風馬鈴薯絲煎餅)

*This post first appeared in my prior blog, 2 Sisters et 1 Cat, I'm working on moving more posts to My chouchoux.

This is essentially a Swiss potato pancake; it's crispy on the outside and very similar to hash browns, and a little bit like Jewish latkas, as well. It makes a nice presentation and is still fairly easy to manage.

I've tried different recipes and made it different ways before, but the way my friend Michel made it (see related post, Chez Michel, 1)--and how I like it--is to first cook the potatoes 75% done before shredding them. I know it adds one more step to the process, but the result is crispier! Also, if you have a cast iron pan, this would also certainly help the crispiness factor. If not, it can still turn out very well with a stainless steel pan. Enjoy the recipe and I wouldn't be surprised if you want to make this for your next Sunday brunch as well (...maybe with some poached eggs)!

Rösti (2-4 Servings)

4 potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb)

2 T rosemary leaves, broken up by hand or roughly chopped (optional)

A: 1/2 t sea salt

black pepper

B: 1 T oil

1 T butter

1. Peel the potatoes. If the potatoes are big, cut them in half widthwise. Place them in a pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cold water covering them.

2. Heat the pot just to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are about 75% cooked *Poke the potato with a thin paring knife about 1/2 inch deep. You want to be able to insert the knife, but not very easily.

3. Strain the potatoes and place them in the fridge for about 1 1/2-2 hours without covering them. *You can prepare all the steps up to here a few hours beforehand.

4. When you're ready to cook the pancake, take the potatoes out of the fridge and grate them on the largest hole with a grater. Gather all the grated potatoes in a large bowl, mix with rosemary leaves (if you're using) and A.

5. Heat a medium-sized sauté pan with half the amounts of ingredients B. When it's hot, pour in all the grated potatoes and press them tightly into a round shape.

6. Let it cook for about 8 minutes over medium-low heat. *Gently lift a little edge with a thin spatula to see if the bottom is brown first, if not, cook longer. Flip to cook the other side and add the rest of ingredients B around the edge, then cook for another 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Be careful not to let it burn! *If you're afraid to flip it or if the pancake is big, the best way is to invert it onto a plate first, then slide the pancake back in with the uncooked side down.

7. Slide the pancake out onto a plate and serve, or cut it into individual portions on a cutting board and place them on individual plates to serve with other dishes.

- Yvonne