What pushes a person to work past exhaustion? I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about work ethic, steadfastness and diligence. Core values that either you’re hard-wired with or you’re not. I’m not making a judgement call. The dogged relentlessness to surpass one’s own best can be oppressive. On the other hand, once the work is complete, sleep returns and there’s time to reflect, I can’t wait to start again. There’s a bunch of new projects simmering, but for today, it’s lovely to be here, sipping coffee and sharing random thoughts with you.
Whenever I’m tired, I crave potatoes; in any form. It’s the whole Maritime ‘meat and potato’ childhood thing. Potatoes are my comfort food. Mashed, boiled, fried or scalloped, I love them. I saw this recipe in the November edition of bon appetit magazine. The idea of potatoes crispy on the outside, creamy in the centre with a twist of salt and vinegar was more than this weary girl could resist. They’re simple to prepare and absolutely perfect for when you have a hankering for comfort.
Salt-and-Vinegar Potato Rösti slightly adapted from bon appetit November 2015
Preheat oven 425*F
Serves 4-6
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, left whole
½ tablespoon sea salt, plus more
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon pure white vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt flakes
THE STEPS:
- Boil potatoes in boiling salted water until a paring knife can just slide into them – 15 minutes.
- Drain off the water and place the potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill, uncovered, until cold – 30 minutes.
- Place your oven racks in the highest and the lowest positions.
- Line a heavy-bottomed skillet with parchment paper. I cut my paper slightly bigger so that I could easily take the rösti out of the pan.
- Toss onions, vinegar and sea salt together and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grate cold potatoes on a box grater. Your potatoes will darken slightly in the fridge, not to worry.
- Remove the parchment paper from your skillet then place the skillet on lowest rack in your oven for 5 minutes to heat it up.
- Gently toss potatoes with onion mixture. Season with freshly ground pepper.
- Remove skillet from oven and place parchment circle back in hot skillet.
- Pour potato mixture on top of parchment and press down firmly to compact.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place skillet on lowest rack for 45 minutes.
- Remove rösti from oven.
- Heat broiler.
- Brush top of rösti with more olive oil, sprinkle with a little more sea salt, and broil until top is deep golden brown. I used a cast iron skillet which browned the bottom for me. If yours is not browned carefully flip the rösti onto a baking sheet and broiler the other side.
- Remove from broiler and slide rösti, paper and all, onto a cooling rack.
THE LOVE: Serve your rösti will a big dollop of sour cream.
Thanks for reading.
