- Peel and grate the potatoes and the onions using the coarse side of the grater. Mix together the grated ingredients and drain excess liquid in a colander. Season the mixture with salt and peppers.
You can store the grated ingredients overnight in cold water in the fridge. Drain them well in a colander before use and do not season them until you have drained them. - Mix the grated potatoes with the grated cheese.
- Heat some fat on a Teflon pan, form the grated mass into a patty the size of the pan, and fry the rösti on low heat on both sides until the grated potato-onion mix is well done. Turn the rösti with the help of a plate.
- Decorate the rösti with herbs. Serve with air-dried ham.
Rösti is unofficially considered the national dish of Switzerland. The potato patty was originally a popular breakfast dish among farmers.
Each region has its own rösti recipes. In Zürich, where the dish originates from, rösti is prepared by frying raw potatoes on a pan, whereas in Bern it is made by frying boiled potatoes and served with cheese, onions and bacon.
Rösti is particularly popular among the German-speaking population of Switzerland. Therefore, the border between the German- and French-speaking parts is playfully called the ‘rösti line’ (Röstigraben/barrière de Rösti).
Rösti makes a delicious side dish for many main courses, such as sausages, creamy meat stews (Geschnetzeltes) and fish. Along with potatoes, rösti can also be supplemented with cheese, bacon, onions, mushrooms or fish, for example.
This potato delicacy has also inspired people to develop new kitchen utensils. A röstiraffel is a coarse potato grater that was developed in Switzerland in the late 1800s.
| Cheese rösti four servings |
|
|---|---|
| 1 kg | (boiled) firm potatoes (e.g., Nicola) |
| 1-2 | onions |
| 2 tsp | salt |
| 1/4 tsp | white pepper |
| 1 tsp | black pepper |
| 200 g | Le Gruyére AOP cheese, grated |
| butter or oil for frying | |
| On top | |
|---|---|
| chopped parsley or sunflower shoots |
| In addition | |
|---|---|
| 100 g | air-dried ham |
