A cold morning. Hot potatoes. We Americans call them hash browns but these are rosti in Austria. And there is an Austrian flavor twist here: a sprinkle of nutmeg..
Making these potato cakes is easy if you have a perfect recipe to follow and this is just that. This is the best set of directions I have seen to get those perfect morning potatoes, soft inside and wonderfully crunchy on the outside. Author Kurt Gutenbrunner of Neue Cuisine suggests you make these one at a time in a small cast iron skillet. But he acknowledges that you can, as I did, simply use a large pan and cook individual mounds of the grated potatoes.
You may prefer to go heavier on the salt and pepper, either in the preparation or once the dish has hit the table. Go lightly on the salt and enjoy that cast iron crust.
Austrians use nutmeg. You might go for a dash of hot sauce!
Classic Potato Rosti
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
- Salt
- 2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, scrubbed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Canola oil, for frying
- Small herb sprigs and edible flowers, for garnishing (optional)
Preparation:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until starting to soften but still almost raw in the middle, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water to cool as quickly as possible, 1 to 2 minutes
Drain the potatoes and peel them. Using the large holes of a box grater, shred them into a large bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, and nutmeg and toss well to mix.
Film a 5-inch cast-iron skillet with oil. Put 1 to 1 ½ cups of the potatoes into the pan spreading them to the edges. Fry over medium heat, turning once, until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with the remaining potatoes to make 6 rosti. Serve as soon as possible.
Source: Neue Cuisine, The Elegant Tastes of Vienna, by Kurt Gutenbrunner [Rizzoli, 2011]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4 for1/30th second at ISO‑1600