Some people would like to be buried in their favourite outfit, but I would rather be covered in this potato rosti with three different kinds of cheese. Honestly, lay my cold, lifeless body onto that grated, seasoned, starchy bed and cover me with bacon, caramelised onion, cream cheese, mozzarella and cheddar. Let me lie there with my truest loves. Allow the grease to seep into my redundant pores. Then, and only then, will I be at peace.
…anyway. Here’s a recipe for a potato rosti with frankly so much cheese it might make you’re heart do somersaults for days afterwards. Its ingredients also all come to less than £5 if you opt for homebrand, which of course I did.
This recipe was inspired by a recent visit of mine to Interlaken in Switzerland. I ordered a potato rosti because Google told me I should, and became confused when the waiter brought me out basically just a fucking plate of cheese with a few stray potato flakes floating throughout. I like cheese though, so I didn’t complain.
(Here’s the beautiful brute…)
Ingredients:
(Serves approx 4-5)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
250g cheddar
3 shallots
1 red onion
375g mozzarella
4 rashers of bacon
300g cream cheese
Salt & pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp brown sugar
1kg white pre-boiled potatoes
How to:
1. Cut the potatoes into halves and boil them in their skins until they are soft enough to stick a knife through. Drain and allow to cool.
2. Chop the shallots roughly.
3. Grate the potatoes, removing the skins as you go. Mix with 1 tsp dried thyme and salt & pepper.
4. Fry 1 tbsp butter with 2 tbsp olive oil and the shallots until they are cooked. Add the grated potato mixture, stirring in with the butter, oil and shallots. Then squash to the sides and bottom of the frying pan. Fry for around 5 minutes on a medium heat. If you smell burning…that’s a bad sign. Put to one side.
5. Slice the bacon thinly and fry in a separate saucepan with a little bit of oil. Layer onto the potato base once cooked.
6. Fry the red onion with 2 tbsp brown sugar until the onion softens. Layer onto the bacon and potato base.
7. Layer the cream cheese on top of the bacon and red onion. Then break up the mozzarella and do the same. Finally, sprinkle on grated cheddar cheese.
8. Put the concoction under the grill until the cheese has turned golden on the top. I stupidly used a regular frying pan with a plastic handle…so had to check it wasn’t burning the plastic throughout. Maybe don’t do that…a frying pan that allows you to remove the handle would be best.
9. Serve up.