Rösti
Grated potato pressed into a pan and fried slowly in butter until a deep golden crust forms on both sides and the middle stays soft.
Photograph credit: GV Fribourg BR Rösti by Stefan Gall · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photograph credit: Sweet potato rosti - Malt Cafe 2026-01-14 by Andy Li · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
How to Make Rösti
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Boil the potatoes whole in their skins for 12 minutes — they should still be firm in the middle. Drain, cool, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
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Peel the chilled potatoes and grate them coarsely into a bowl. Do not rinse; the surface starch is helping you.
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Season with the salt, pepper and caraway, and fold in the Gruyère if using. Toss with your hands, keeping the strands loose.
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Heat half the butter with half the oil in a 24 cm non-stick or well-seasoned pan over medium-low heat.
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Tip the potato in and spread it to the edges, then shape the sides with a spatula. Do not press it down.
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Cook 12 to 15 minutes without touching it, until the base is deep golden — lift an edge to check.
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Slide it onto a plate, put another plate on top, invert, and slide it back into the pan with the rest of the butter and oil.
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Cook another 12 minutes until the second side matches.
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Slide onto a board, rest 2 minutes, and cut into wedges. Serve with soured cream and chives.
Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Ingredient substitutions.
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Tips for Making Rösti
- Par-boil the day before. Same-day potatoes give a gluey rösti.
- Never press it flat. Pressing squeezes out the air that makes it light.
- Medium-low heat for twelve minutes a side. Rushing gives a pale crust and raw middle.
Serving Suggestions
- A fried egg and bacon
- Smoked salmon and soured cream
- Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Keeping and Reheating
Refrigerate 2 days and recrisp in a dry pan. Freezes 1 month, cooked.
Rösti FAQ: Common Questions
How long does Rösti take to make?
20 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 6 hours of draining, so allow 6 hours 45 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: garnishes, greasing and other items with no amount are not counted; optional ingredients are counted. How the figures are worked out.
Vegetarian when made with a hard cheese made without animal rennet in place of the gruyère.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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