I've discovered a way to make the perfect Rosti.
These golden, crispy discs of shredded potato should be crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
One of my bugbears with Rosti has always been that sometimes, because you're using raw potato, it doesn't always get cooked through.
So I'd like to pass on a simple tip I found (courtesy of the Serious Eats website), that prevents this from happening and gives you
the perfect Rosti every time.
Simply microwave the shredded potato after squeezing it dry, before forming into discs.
Without getting too scientific and nerdy, par-cooking the potatoes this way gives them a layer of gelatinised starch, so when they fry, theydehydrate a little and become extra crispy. Rosti nirvana!
INGREDIENTSserves 6
approx 1kg floury potatoes
salt & pepper
butter or oil for frying
METHOD
Peel & coarsely grate the potatoes and place in a dry tea towel. Do not wash the potatoes after peeling, as you need the starch to help them stick together.
Twist the towel as tight as you can over a bowl or the sink to get rid of as much liquid as possible from the potato. The secret to a good Rosti is dry potato.
Now for the tip - put the potato shreds onto a couple of pieces of kitchen paper on a plate, and cover with another couple of sheets.
Microwave on high power for no more than 2 minutes and remove to cool.
Place in a bowl, season well and mix with your fingers, separating the shreds as much as you can. The potato will be sticky, which is good, as this will help keep the Rosti from falling apart.
Form into thin discs using your hands or a scone/pastry ring if you want to be more precise (like me!) A little flour stops them sticking to the cutter or your hands.
The ones pictured were 100mm in diameter and between ½cm and 1cmm thick, and made 6.
Alternatively, you could make one large Rosti and cut wedges from it if you are pushed for time.
coarsely grate the potatoes... |
...into a dry tea towel |
...squeeze dry |
...place on a plate, cover and microwave for 2 minutes |
...season, and form into discs |
Melt some butter (you can use olive oil if you want) in a frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the Rostis for about 5-7 minutes each side until golden and crisp.
Eat straight away with a poached egg on top for a tasty and quick lunch or add a sliced avocado for a veggie supper.
Personally I might addcouple of rashers of bacon for a brunch.
