Giant Rosti Recipes

GIANT POTATO AND LEEK ROSTI

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. In a very large (12-inch) nonstick skillet (if the skillet handle isn't heatproof, wrap it in a double thickness of aluminum foil), heat the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until tender, stirring often, about 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the salt and pepper. Season the leeks with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt-and-pepper mixture. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. (The leeks can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated.)
• Peel the potatoes and shred on the largest holds of a box grater. In the skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the goose fat over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Spread half of the potatoes in the skillet in a layer. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt-and-pepper mixture. Spread with the leeks, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Top with the remaining potatoes, and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Cook until the edges of the pancake are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Hold a flat round skillet top, plate, or pizza pan on top of the skillet. Inver the skillet and the skillet top together so the pancake falls, upside down, onto the skillet top. (If this seems too heavy to handle, slide the pancake carefully out of the skillet onto a plate. Place a second plate on top and invert.) Return the skillet to the stove and heat the remaining tablespoons goose fat until very hot. Slide the pancake back into the skillet, browned side up. Cook until the underside is browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the pancake as before, and bake it until crisp, about 10 more minutes.
• Transfer to a warm round platter and sprinkle with the chives, if desired. Serve hot, cut into wedges.

GIANT ROSTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together grated potatoes and onion, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 9-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When bubbles subside, add the potato mixture and tamp down to spread into an even layer. Place a piece of foil over the top of the potatoes, then weight them down by placing a heavy plate on top that is slightly smaller in diameter than the pan. Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is well-browned, about 15 minutes. Lift an edge of the potatoes with a spatula to check.
• To flip, remove plate and foil. Invert the plate over the top of the potato cake and, holding the pan and plate together with oven mitts, flip the whole operation so the potato cake lands on the plate. Melt remaining butter in the frying pan, then slide the cake, uncooked side down, back into the pan. Replace the plate and foil on the top, as before, then cook until underside is brown and crispy, about 10 more minutes. Remove plate and foil and slide cake onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve plain or with sour cream and chives or green onion.

OVEN-BAKED RöSTI CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Dry-fry the bacon in a pan for 5 mins until crisp, then chop into small pieces. Boil the whole potatoes for 5 mins, drain, then place in a bowl of chilled water.
• When cool enough to handle, pat the potatoes dry and roughly grate into a large bowl. Toss with the oil as you go, to stop them from sticking. Roughly grate the onion and squeeze out any excess juice, then stir into the potatoes along with the bacon.
• Place a baking sheet in the oven for 5 mins to warm through. Liberally grease a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with butter. Scatter the potato over the tin, trying not to pack it down, then dot all over the top with butter. Place on the hot baking sheet and bake in the oven for 1 hr 20 mins until the potatoes are cooked through and crisp on top.