Break out of your side dish rut with Zurich-Style Potato Rösti! Its creamy interior and crispy outer shell make it just a bit different from any other style of potato dish I’ve tried.
There must be a bajillion ways to make potatoes. Baked, mashed, au gratin, scalloped, cottage fried, oven fried, deep fried – the list goes on and on! But sometimes I’m making a main dish that just needs something a little more elegant to go along with it. (And I’ve got a bit of extra time.) That’s when I reach for my recipe for Zurich-Style Potato Rösti.
A rösti is a traditional dish in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland. It was once considered a breakfast dish but has since become more mainstream. It’s one of those dishes where the end result is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Wait, Aren’t These Just Hash Browns?
At this writing, there’s actually an active discussion on Wikipedia on this topic. My opinion: Absolutely not. Yes, both include grated or shredded potatoes, but that’s the main similarity. Hash browns are typically cooked over much higher heat, with the goal of shatteringly crunchy bits of potato, and they’re usually cooked in vegetable oil, shortening, bacon grease, etc. A rösti cooks in butter at a lower temperature in a thicker “cake” that achieves a crisp brown exterior with a creamy, smooth interior.
To me anyway, likening a rösti to hash browns is kind of like equating the sublime Pommes Anna with plain ol’ cottage fries. Not trying to be a stuck-up foodie snob here, just sayin’: To me there’s a big difference.
How to Make Zurich-Style Potato Rösti
As I mentioned, this takes a little bit of time to make, but the finished dish is delightfully different. The potatoes are peeled and grated. (I use my mouli for this, but you can use a box grater or food processor if you prefer.) The grated potatoes are placed immediately in cold, salted water for a few minutes to remove some of the potato starch. (This step is essential. If you don’t remove some of the starch you’ll end up with a gummy, unpleasant mess.)
Then the potatoes are squeezed out, dried and set aside while you briefly saute the minced onion and (optional) bell pepper in a nonstick skillet. The potatoes are added and levelled out, sprinkled with paprika and covered with a lid. The whole thing cooks for about 15 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crisp.
You do need to check occasionally to be sure the rösti isn’t sticking to the pan, and to tuck in any stray shreds of potato. But you don’t want to stir the potatoes as you would normally do for hash browns. You’re going for a solid, cohesive “cake” of potatoes here.
Now comes the fun part. Once the bottom is crisp and browned, you’ll need to carefully slide the mixture onto a plate. (I find it best to spray the plate with cooking spray, just to ensure the rösti doesn’t stick.) Then melt more butter in the skillet, and invert the potatoes back into it. I always manage to mess this up a bit, as you can see in the bottom image below. (It’s at the back of the skillet).
Once you’ve flipped it, it cooks for about 10 more minutes, uncovered. You can slide it out onto a serving plate, or if you’re feeling very brave, invert it so the paprika side is up. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do – whenever I make it, it feels like a little extra-special side dish.
PrintZurich-Style Potato Rösti
Break out of your side-dish rut with Zurich-Style Potato Rösti! Its creamy interior and crispy outer shell make it just a bit different from any other style of potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Swiss
Ingredients
2 quarts cold tap water
1 tablespoon salt
4 large Russet potatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup minced onion (yellow or white)
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper (optional)
Paprika, to taste (about a teaspoon)
Fresh parsley, minced for garnish
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix the water and salt to dissolve it. Set aside. Peel the potatoes and grate them using a food processor, box grater, mouli, etc. Immediately add the grated potatoes to the salted water; set aside for about 5 minutes while you prep the onion and bell pepper (if using).
Lay out a clean towel (or paper towels). Scoop handfuls of potato out of the water and squeeze as dry as possible. Spread them out on the towel as you go to dry further.
In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, melt half the butter over medium heat and add the onion and bell pepper (if using). Saute for a couple of minutes, then add the drained potatoes in a single layer. It should be about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with paprika, then cover the pan tightly and continue to cook for about 15 minutes.
Check it once or twice to ensure the potatoes aren’t sticking, and use a spatula to tuck in any stray bits of potato around the edges. Don’t stir or otherwise disturb the potatoes. Add a little more butter if needed to prevent sticking.
The bottom of the rösti should be golden brown at this point. Spray a dinner plate with cooking spray, and carefully slide the entire rösti onto it. Add the remaining butter and melt it, then carefully invert the potatoes back into the skillet (paprika side down).
Continue to cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes or so, uncovered, until the bottom is browned. Slide the rösti onto a serving plate, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Inspired by a recipe in a long-ago version of MasterCook.
Keywords: rosti, rösti, potato, potatoes, zurich-style potato rösti