Tuesday 3 December 2013

Latkes? Röstis? Who can tell!



Latkes, those Hanukkah favourites, can also during the moments of laziness be fried into a one big panful. In which case there's a chance it'll turn into a rösti? The most significant difference between these two is that rösti recipes never call for eggs or flour - it's just potatos and onion. Though in order to achieve the maximum crispness I don't usually put those in my latkes either so... go figure. Though does it even matter if the end result tastes good?

The thicker you want your rösti, the more advisable it is to parboil the potatos and allow them to cool (until the following day even) - otherwise there's a chance they won't all have time to cook properly. Instead of (or in addition to) oil, you could also fry these in goose or duck fat (should you have some!) - that is guaranteed to give you a nice crispy finish.

Instead of lox (that's salmon for you and me) you could of course serve these with nice (serrano) ham. Or bacon...

My frying pan was a small one, 20 cm in diameter

2 largeish, waxy potatos (together about 250 g)
1/2 large onion or 1 small one 
salt, white pepper
for frying: oil, oil and butter, goose fat or goose fat and butter

Parboil the potatos with the skins still on until just tender but not yet soft. Allow to cool properly. Then peel and grate. Best tool for this would be the kind of spaghetti grater which produces continuous strands of the vegetable (yet another tool I don't yet have - pay attention Santa!)

Finely slice the onion and let soften in a pan. The combine with the potatos, season and fry on a hot pan tossing around at the beginning and then flattening to a cake with the back of a spoon/ spatula. Fry for about 10 minutes until fried crisp on the one side, then cover with a plate, flip and then slide the potato cake back into the pan and fry on the other side as well.







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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?



        



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