Fried potatoes have always been synonymous with comfort food for me. That is probably obvious given my range of potato recipes already on the blog! I’m doing a great job fighting the Irish stereotype here. One of my favourite things to eat growing up was a big fried potato cake that my Mam used to make from left over mashed potato, onions and plenty of dried herbs. I still love it to this day. When I don’t have leftover mash, this Potato and Onion Rosti is what I like to make.

A hectic few weeks meant that I just really wanted something big and comforting at the weekend. So rosti it was and I served it with bacon and poached eggs. I like this for breakfast but it also makes a great side dish for a dinner.

Traditionally a Swiss rosti is just made from potato, salt and pepper and nothing else. However, me being me I have to tinker with that. I like to fry off some onions to add to the potatoes and they add a lovely sweetness to the rosti. You can of course add herbs and seasonings to it to add more flavour if you like but the simplicity of this is what makes it so good. It does need a lot of salt and pepper though.

 

 

Useful tips & links:

• I have made rosti with both raw and par boiled potatoes. For me the raw potato just doesn’t cook quite right for my liking, there always seems to be a slightly starchy taste from it and I love the softness in the middle when the potatoes are par boiled. You can make it with raw potatoes, simply grate them and squeeze them through a tea towel to remove excess moisture.
• To save time I par boil the potatoes the night before and stick them in the fridge. This allows them to firm up and makes them easier to grate. If you don’t have time for this, just par boil and when cool enough to handle you can grate them and use immediately. The type of potato is not hugely important once they are not too floury. I tend to use rooster potatoes as they are a good all rounder.
• I like to make one large rosti with a lovely crispy edge and soft potato filling. You can shape the mixture and make 4 individual rostis as thick or thin as you like. You can also double the recipe to make a bigger batch and keep the cooked rostis in an oven to stay warm while you finish cooking them.
• This rosti has been fried in beef dripping. It gives it a really crispy exterior and tastes delicious. I buy mine from my local butcher who makes it himself but you can use butter, goose or duck fat or even coconut oil.
• For more rosti ideas have a look at Sabrina Ghayour’s delicious Spiced Potato Rosti from her book Feasts or  this great looking Chorizo and Bacon Baked Potato Rosti from Nial and Helen of Pikalily.

 

 

 

 

Potato and Onion Rosti

 

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• Salt and pepper
• I tablespoon of oil
• 2 teaspoons of beef dripping

Method:

• Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes. You want them to become tender but not cooked completely. Drain and cover them and store in the fridge overnight.
• Peel and finely dice the onion. Heat half of the oil in a small non stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Gently fry the diced onions with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, this will take some time. Drain on kitchen paper and put them in a bowl. Wipe out the pan.
• Remove the potatoes from the fridge and coarsely grate them into the onions. Season very well with plenty of salt and pepper and mix together with a fork.
• When ready to cook, heat the remaining oil and the beef dripping in the pan over a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, press the potato mixture into the pan. Allow it to cook for about 4 minutes until golden brown.
• Flip the rosti with a large spatula or alternatively place a plate on top of the pan and flip to turn the rosti out on to the plate. Put the pan back on the heat, adding more dripping if needed. Slide the rosti from the plate back into the pan to allow the other side to cook. Cook for another couples of minutes until golden brown on both sides.
• Slide back out on to the serving plate and divide into wedges. Serve the Potato and Onion Rosti with a fried or poached egg, bacon, asparagus or smoked salmon and creme fraiche.