Rösti (Swiss Crispy Potato Cake)
In short: Coarsely grated boiled potatoes pressed into a cake and fried in butter until deeply golden and crisp outside and soft and creamy within. It takes about 1 h 5 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Resting
- 12 h
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 250 kcal
Rösti is Switzerland's national potato dish, a golden cake of coarsely grated potato fried in butter until crisp outside and creamy inside. Farmers once ate it for breakfast, and today it is served with sausages, veal in cream sauce or a fried egg. Potatoes boiled and chilled the day before give shreds that hold together and crisp properly.
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife meets slight resistance in the center. Drain, cool and refrigerate overnight.
- Peel the cold potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. Toss gently with the salt and pepper, keeping the shreds loose.
- Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a 26 cm (10 in) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add the potatoes and press them gently into an even cake about 2 cm (3/4 in) thick.
- Fry for 10 to 12 minutes without stirring, shaking the pan now and then, until the underside is deep golden.
- Slide the rösti onto a plate, cover it with a second plate or the pan lid and flip it over. Melt the remaining butter in the pan, slide the rösti back in and fry for 10 minutes more, until crisp and golden all over.
- Slide onto a board, cut into wedges and serve at once.
Tips
- Chilled, slightly undercooked potatoes grate into separate shreds, while warm or soft ones turn gluey. In a hurry, boil them for 12 minutes and cool for at least 2 hours.
- Many cooks add diced onion to the pan before the potatoes, or scatter grated Gruyère on top for the last 3 minutes. A fried egg turns it into a full meal.
Questions and answers
Should I use raw or boiled potatoes for rösti?
Both are used. Par-boiled and chilled potatoes give a creamy center and a crisp crust, while raw grated potatoes make a lacier rösti that needs longer cooking.
What do you serve with rösti?
A fried egg, a green salad or stewed apples go well with it. Topped with melted cheese, it is also a meal on its own.
Can I make rösti ahead?
Fry it until golden, cool, and reheat in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 10 minutes. It is best fresh, but leftover wedges crisp up well in a skillet.
How long does it take to make Rösti (Swiss Crispy Potato Cake)?
About 1 h 5 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Rösti (Swiss Crispy Potato Cake)?
About 250 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 34 g of carbohydrates and 11 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 250 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 34 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 650 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
