A grated raw potato pancake, browned in butter and oil, with crisp edges and a tender center.
The spatula slides under the pancake, the edge crackles, and the aroma of hot butter fills the kitchen. Underneath, the crust is evenly golden ; inside, the potato stays meltingly tender. Rösti is a pancake made from grated raw potatoes, pressed into a frying pan and flipped just once. All it needs is potatoes, salt, pepper, and a mixture of butter and oil.
What Is Rösti ?
Rösti is a compact grated potato pancake, pan-fried until it holds together as a single disk. The potatoes are grated raw, just before cooking, and never rinsed : their starchy juices bind the pancake without eggs or flour. The dish relies on a simple contrast, a crust with crisp edges and a soft center that tastes of thoroughly cooked potatoes.
The mixture of butter and oil creates that crispness, provided you leave the pancake undisturbed long enough for a crust to form. One serving provides approximately 218 calories and 31 g of net carbs, with 4 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
A Potato Pancake from the Alps
Rösti is a traditional potato pancake from the Alps. It belongs to the family of pan-fried potato pancakes, where heat and fat alone are enough to make the potatoes crisp.
There are two schools of thought. Some cooks start with precooked potatoes, while others grate raw potatoes, as we do here. Both make a good rösti ; the raw potato method keeps the ingredient list short, with seasoning and fat complementing the potatoes without masking their flavor.
The Main Ingredients
Allow 400 g of moderately starchy potatoes for two people. Bintje or Agria potatoes work well, and the suggested uses on the packaging are the most reliable guide. Choose firm potatoes and avoid any that have sprouted, as most of a potato’s antinutrients are concentrated in the sprouts.
Cook the rösti in butter and oil, preferably both, as each brings something different. Avocado oil, mild olive oil, or high-oleic sunflower oil encourages even browning ; butter, ideally from grass-fed cows, adds richness and a nutty note. Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper are all you need for seasoning, and you can omit the pepper for a seed-free version.
Optional additions include a little onion, garlic, paprika, or Mediterranean herbs. Use them sparingly : onion adds moisture that compromises crispness, while garlic and paprika burn quickly against the hot pan.
Technique and Serving Tips
Peel and grate the potatoes at the last minute, using a grater or food processor, then keep them in their juices without rinsing or draining. Heat the frying pan over medium heat with the butter and oil, season the potatoes with salt and pepper, mix, then spread them in an even layer and press down firmly with a spatula. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium-high heat without disturbing them. When the pancake slides back and forth without breaking, place a plate over it, flip the pan over in one motion, and slide the rösti back into the pan, golden side up.
Allow about another 5 minutes, adding a little butter or oil if needed before returning the pancake to the pan, then a thin drizzle of oil around the edges. Watch out for splattering hot fat when flipping. Serve immediately, before the steam from the center softens the crust, with a soft-boiled egg and a green salad, smoked salmon with crème fraîche and chives, or alongside sausages or veal in cream sauce. Leftovers keep for three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator ; a frying pan or oven will restore their crispness, while the microwave will soften them.
Ingredients
- 400 g potatoes slightly starchy
- black pepper
- salt Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt
- oil avocado, mild olive or high-oleic sunflower oil, for cooking
- butter (from grass-fed cows), for cooking
Optional
- onion, garlic, paprika powder, Mediterranean herbs Variation,
For a Seed-Free Version
- black pepper Variation, OMIT
Instructions
- Peel and grate the potatoes. Place them in a mixing bowl without rinsing or draining them. The liquid contains starch, which is needed to hold the rösti together. This means there is no need for an egg or any other additions.400 g potatoes
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter and oil. Ideally, use both, as their properties are slightly different and together they make the potato pancake nice and crispy.oil, butter
- Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and grind fresh black pepper over them.black pepper, salt
- Mix and transfer everything to the pan. Spread evenly and press down firmly with a spatula. Cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.onion, garlic, paprika powder, Mediterranean herbs
- Once the potato pancake can slide back and forth without breaking, flip it. This is not as easy as flipping a crepe. Use a plate to help: place it over the rösti, invert the pan and plate together, then slide the rösti back into the pan.
- Alternatively, slide the potato pancake onto a plate first. Place a second plate upside down on top. Flip the plates over and slide the potato pancake back into the pan.
- Cook for about 5 more minutes. If needed, add a little more butter or oil to the pan first. While cooking, drizzle a little more oil around the edges as well.
