Serves: 4; Prep: 15 mins; Cook: 20 mins
Adapted from a traditional Swiss recipe based on potatoes, this variation can be eaten as a meal in itself.
Ingredients: 1 lb /450g potatoes; 8oz/225g parsnips; 8oz/225g carrots, peeled and grated; 4 rashers smoked back bacon, diced; salt and fresh ground black pepper; 4 tbsp/60ml chopped fresh chives; 1oz/25g butter; 2 tblsp/30ml olive oil.
- Cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.
- Cook parsnips in the same way until tender, drain and leave to cool. Peel both the vegetables, coarsely grate them and mix with the carrots.
- Fry the bacon until crisp and mix with the grated vegetables. Season well and mix in the chives.
- Heat the butter and half the oil in a 23cm;/9in heavy based (preferably non-stock) frying pan. When hot, spread the vegetable mixture evenly into the pan. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. To turn the rosti over, place a plate that fits snugly over it. Turn the rosti out onto the plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and, when it’s sizzling, slide the rosti back into the pan, cooked side uppermost.
Cook for a further 10 minutes, adding the remaining oil to the pan. Turn out onto a plate and serve hot.
Tip: The rosti can be cooked in the oven in which case you don’t have to reverse it onto a plate. Simply cook as described for the first 10 minutes, then put in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
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