Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (about 3 large ones), washed but unpeeled
- 1/4 pound bacon, diced
- 1/4 cup onions, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 Tablespoons butter
Preparation
Step 1
. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 15-20 minutes. It is essential that the potatoes are slightly undercooked in the middle which means that when they are poked with a knife, the very center of the potato should still be hard.
2. Remove the potatoes from the water and chill completely. (If you are in a hurry, you can put them in the freezer once they are cool.) It is imperative that the potatoes are ice cold before working with them.
3. In a non-stick, 10" sauté pan, cook bacon until browned. Remove bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Remove and discard all but about 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.
4. Return the pan to the stove and over moderate heat; cook the onions until softened and lightly browned. When done, remove from pan and reserve.
5. Peel the cold, cooked potatoes and grate them on the largest holes of the grater. Add bacon, onions, salt, and pepper to the potatoes and mix to combine.
6. In the same non-stick, 10" sauté pan over moderate heat, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pan. Once it is melted and hot, add 1/3 of the potato mixture to the pan. Form it into a cake about ½" thick. Sauté until well browned and crispy on one side (about 5-6 minutes). Dot the top of the rosti with another Tablespoon of butter. Flip the rosti. If parts of it do not stick together, simply press them back into a cake.
7. When the rosti is well browned on the other side (about another 5-6 minutes), remove from the pan and serve. Continue to make 2 more rosti from the remaining potatoes. Each rosti serves 2 people.