I love potatoes. That statement is either a food-geek statement or Irish and I'm not Irish, so I'm going with food geek.
Potatoes are really amazing if you take the time to think about it. What an versatile food source. I can think of about twenty ways to prepare them without even trying, most are really tasty, a few are train wrecks. Since this is a blog about tasty, I'll stick to that.
Today I’ll cover two recipes with the exact same ingredients that turn out very differently and with very different flavors.
First, one of my favorite recipes for potatoes is Röesti, think "crispy, thick, round hash browns cakes". Very few restaurants make Röesti, and the ones that do, seem to know what they are doing.
Secondly, Hash Browns. Most of the hash browns that I have had lately have rated between moderately disappointing to "really?!?".
Let’s start with the easier of the two to make:
Hash browns are so easy, I don't know why they are almost universally unsatisfying. Maybe the cooks feel that hey are in too much of a hurry, or maybe it is becoming a lost art.
One of the issues that I have had lately with potato preparations such as these is that when they arrive at the table, the first visual encounter with the meal disappoints.
I have a favorite food writer, a man named Brillat-Savarin. You may not have heard of him because he wrote about food in the 1820's. His most important work was "The Physiology of Taste" published in 1825 two months before his death. The book has not been out of print. Check it out, he had a way to describe the cuisine of his day that was without parallel.
One of my favorite quotes of his became my mantra, or one of them, when I was a line cook and then later as a chef "You eat first with your eyes". I have tried to find this quote that I have attributed to him for nearly 20 years and cannot find it exactly as I have quoted it. Whether he said it or not, I believe that it does define his ideas in simple terms of his writing. I really hope that I find that quote, because I love it and live it.
Both preparations start exactly the same way.
First, hash browns. I start by peeling a few russets and rinse them in cold water. This stops them from discoloring. If you choose not to rinse them the starch will start to turn the outer layer of the potato to turn a reddish color. This does not impact the flavor or taste of the final product, it just changes the look.
I use a box grater for hash browns as I feel the a thinner cut helps them have a better look.
There are two schools of thought about the next step, you can either place them in cold water and drain them prior to cooking or squeeze the water and starch out with your hands. Both have practical applications, today I'll rinse them.
Put some butter and a bit of olive oil blend (I make my own, 1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 3/4 canola oil) and turn on the burner to full. The oil helps stops the butter from burning and creates a good medium for flavor and presentation.
Lay the shredded potato in a thin layer in the pan, season lightly with kosher salt and let it roll for a few minutes. What you want to create is a golden surface on the bottom before turning. Most of the hash browns that I have eaten in the past few years has had too little oil/butter involved and what is produced has an almost burnt, inconsistent browning.
Once the potatoes have achieved the proper caramelization, turn them over and repeat on the other side. Don't be afraid to add a little butter if you feel that there is not enough for the current side that is in contact with the pan. Season with kosher salt and serve.
Röesti is a different animal all together. For this preparation I use my French mandolin. This machine cuts thin square sticks of potato, similar to a julienne, but a little finer or smaller in size.
With this cut of potato, I squeeze the water and starch out with my hands as I want some of the starch to work for me in making the final product but I don't need all of it.
I was introduced to Röesti at a two restaurants in San Francisco where I held the position of sous chef in the mid-nineties. One restaurant had a traditional plain potato version. At the other we made one that instead of butter used rendered duck fat to cook the potatoes. We also put caramelized onions in the center which is something that makes the Röesti so fun and adds a little splash of flavor and color.
In the first restaurant where I held the position of chef, our Röesti had sautéed red mustard leaves in the center.
To start shred the potatoes on a mandolin (if you have one), use the large grate side of a box grater if you don't, this will create a very different look than the one I’m showing here and will have a slightly different flavor.
Put a table spoon of butter in your pan with a little of you olive oil blend. An 8" non-stick pan is best, and turn the heat to high. While the butter is melting, squeeze the water and starch out of the grated/shredded potato. And transfer to the pan.
With a heat proof rubber spatula, press down the errant pieces of potato to make the Röesti as round as possible. Let it cook for a minute or two. Add small amounts of butter to the outer sides and rotate the Röesti so that it cooks evenly.
Here comes the hard part. This bit takes practice. At this point you need to flip the Röesti onto the other side. The idea is to get the Röesti to turn over in the air and land in the flat in the pan. I have tried with limited success to us a wide spatula for this part.
Add butter to the Röesti at the four corners of the pan (12-3-6-9 o'clock). Let it caramelize for a few minutes and rotate again with your heat proof rubber spatula.
Once the desired color has been reached, remove it from the pan and cut into 6 pieces and serve. Yumm!
If you're interested in a Röesti that is filled, lay the half of potato and then add the filling, it is reasonably important to make sure that the filling has a low moisture level as this will affect the final product.
Once you get this dish down, go ahead and play with it.
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