{like his mother made} Rösti or hash browns done well are potatoes perfected. I learned this from my husband's mother in Hungary, but you'll find similar versions that are the pride of many a mother and a young bride in homes all over Central Europe. In our home, few things raise bigger enthusiasm than the smell of rösti cooking when András walks through the door. You'll love them for brunch or dinner, or a whole meal {vegetarians take note} with a poached egg and chopped herbs. Add in rosemary and you've got a really heady, flavorful substitute for French fries with your steak dinner.
They key to a crispy outside and soft inside not laden with oil is to get the oil very hot before you add the potatoes, in which case they will absorb very little of it and leave nothing but flavor and crunch for you to devour the instant it hits the plate.
Hand-grating potatoes, as is often tradition in potato pancakes, release liquid and starch from the potatoes and can make your rösti gummy. Instead, use the grater on your food processor or a mandoline fit with the julienne attachment for thin, matchstick strips.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.
Step 2
Cut the potatoes into thin matchsticks using a julienne attachment on a mandoline or food processor. Or, cut into thin rounds and use a sharp knife to cut the rounds into strips {more time consuming, but it works!}
Step 3
Heat the butter and olive oil in an 8-in/20-cm ovenproof cast-iron or non-stick frying pan, over medium heat. Add the rosemary to the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft and a few pieces are brown. At this point, the potatoes should have settled into a round flat pancake.
Step 4
Transfer the potatoes in the skillet to the hot oven to bake until the top and bottom are golden and crispy and the center is soft but cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide out of the pan onto paper towels/absorbent papers. Slide onto a baking sheet/tray and continue until the top and bottom are cooked to a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Serve in wedges or whole on a plate in the middle of the table for breaking and nibbling.
Recipe notes
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