Rösti: Swiss Potato Pancake

By ltrodrigu

An Après-Ski classic menu begins with Rösti. Serve with smoked fish and sour cream.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon canola oil

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a coarse grater, mandoline or spiral slicer to shred potatoes. In a bowl, rinse shredded potatoes under cold water, then squeeze potatoes to release water. Pour off any accumulated water. Toss potatoes with salt. Let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze again, pouring off any additional water.

Season Pan:
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium sauté pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat until oil begins to smoke. Reduce heat to low, pour off oil and wipe pan clean with a paper towel.

Return pan to stove and heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat. Once oil is very hot and begins to shimmer, remove from heat and carefully add potatoes to pan and return to medium heat. Use a spoon or spatula to loosen potatoes from sides of pan, then flatten top of potatoes, forming a flat cakelike shape. Add remaining oil to pan, pouring it down sides of potatoes. Let potatoes cook undisturbed 5 minutes.

Shake pan or use a spatula to gently loosen rösti from bottom of pan. Be careful not to break up rösti. Rotate rösti a half turn and cook 3 minutes more. Cover pan with a large plate, invert pan and carefully slide rösti back into pan, browned-side up. Cook 5 minutes more. Loosen, rotate a half turn and cook 3 minutes more.

To remove rösti, cover pan with a large plate. Invert and let rösti sit to drain off oil, 2 minutes. Transfer rösti to a wire rack, place in oven and cook until crisp, 10 minutes.