Potato Rosti
Potato rosti is a Swiss potato cake: grated potato fried in butter until the outside is crisp and golden and the middle is soft. It needs only potatoes, butter, oil and salt, and the one step that really matters is squeezing the grated potato dry. Serve it as a side dish, or with a fried egg for a simple lunch.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 280kcal
Ingredients and swaps for potato rosti
Rosti began in Switzerland as a farmers’ breakfast in the canton of Bern, and the ingredient list has barely changed since: potato, fat and salt. For 800g of potatoes you need about 1 tsp of fine salt. Using both butter and oil gives the flavour of butter without it burning over the long, steady cooking time. You can grate a small onion into the potato for extra flavour, but squeeze it out together with the potato.
Method for potato rosti
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Grate and squeeze Peel the potatoes and grate them coarsely into a large bowl. Tip the shreds into a clean tea towel, gather the corners and twist hard over the sink for about a minute, until hardly any liquid comes out. Do not rinse the potato, because the starch helps the rosti hold together.
- Season Return the dry potato to the bowl, add the salt and a good grind of pepper and fluff it up with a fork.
- Heat the fat Melt the oil and half the butter in the frying pan over a medium heat until the butter foams.
- Fry the first side Scatter the potato into the pan and press it down firmly into an even cake about 2cm thick. Fry for , lowering the heat if it browns too quickly, until the underside is deep golden and the cake slides when you shake the pan.
- Turn and finish Slide the rosti onto a large plate. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then put the pan upside down over the plate and flip both together so the rosti lands back in the pan. Fry for more, until golden and a knife slides easily into the middle.
- Serve Slide the rosti onto a board, leave it for to firm up, then cut into wedges and serve straight away while the edges are crisp.
What to serve with potato rosti
Rosti makes a good side for sausages, roast chicken or a steak, and it is filling enough for lunch with a fried egg on top. A wedge also goes well next to a bowl of mushroom soup, and the crunch of a homemade red cabbage salad is a good contrast to the buttery potato.
Common problems and fixes for Potato Rosti
- The rosti falls apart when you turn it.
- Squeeze the potato much harder next time and press the cake down firmly. Do not try to flip it until the underside has set and the whole rosti moves freely in the pan.
- The outside is dark but the middle is still raw.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan with a lid for the last 3–4 minutes so the middle steams through. A thinner cake in a wider pan also cooks faster.
- The rosti is pale and soggy rather than crisp.
- The potato was still wet, or the fat was not hot enough. Squeeze again, wait for the butter to foam before adding the potato and leave it alone while the base browns.
Frequently asked questions about Potato Rosti
What are the best potatoes for rosti?
Waxy or all-round potatoes such as Charlotte or Maris Piper hold together best. Very floury potatoes can break up when you turn the cake.
Can you make rosti ahead or reheat it?
Grate the potatoes just before frying, because they turn grey as they stand. You can reheat cooked rosti on a baking tray at 200°C (180°C fan), gas 6, for 10 minutes until piping hot and crisp again, but avoid the microwave, which makes it soft.
Do you need to boil the potatoes first?
No. Many Swiss cooks parboil and cool the potatoes before grating, which gives a softer middle, but raw potato gives lacy, crisp edges and needs no cooling time.
What should you serve with rosti?
A fried egg, smoked salmon, bacon or good sausages all go well, and so does a spoonful of soured cream. A green salad or red cabbage salad adds a fresh contrast.
How did you like the recipe?
4.9 / 5 · 5 ratings
