Monday, May 20, 2013

Swiss Rosti - Savory potato, pancetta, egg, and cheese breakfast [Zack]

Switzerland is an awesome country for many reasons.  It has beautiful scenery, amazing skiing/hiking, and nice people.  But my favorite thing to do in Switzerland is to eat a Swiss Rosti in a ski lodge after a long day outdoors.  A Swiss Rosti is a piping hot fajita skillet filled with fried potatoes, Swiss Cheese, bacon, onion, and an over-easy egg.

I was starving this morning (due to spending almost 6 hours on my bicycle yesterday) and I knew I had some potatoes in our cupboard.  I also had some awesome pancetta from Italy, plus the usual Emmental cheese, eggs, and onions in the pantry.  I've had the Swiss Rosti on the brain for the last month, and my appetite gave me a guilt-free chance to make it happen.

This Rosti will satisfy the deepest hunger and comfort the noisest bellies.


Process:

Slice the 2 onions and put them in a saute pan with a little bit of olive oil.  Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and add them to the pan with the onions.  Sprinkle crushed red pepper and garlic over the potatoes.

Add 2T of water to the pan and allow the potatoes to steam.  Use the same process as cooking a risotto: cook the potatoes until the water has evaporated, and then continue add an additional small amount of water water until they are fork-tender.  Make sure you cook off all of the excess water once they are cooked through so your Rosti is not runny.

Once the potatoes are finished, salt them lightly to taste (remember the bacon is salty as well, so don't overdo it).


Slice your pancetta (or bacon) into matchsticks.  In a separate sauce pot, slowly brown the pancetta over low heat.


You'll want it nice and crispy so it adds a nice crunch to the end product.  Remove the crispy pancetta from the pan and discard the fat.


Add the cooked potatoes and the pancetta to a baking dish.


Top it with the shredded Emmental cheese and make two divots to hold the eggs.  Crack the eggs individually into a bowl so you can easily guide them into their allotted slots.  You can crack some black pepper on top if you want.


Roast in your oven for 12 minutes at 375F / 190C until the egg is set and the cheese is browned slightly.  Enjoy and imagine the Sound of Music playing in the background (I hate that movie).


Ingredients:
2 medium onions
5 potatoes
1tsp crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic
5 slices pancetta, cut into matchsticks
3/4 cup Emmental cheese

Hearty breakfast song:  Sonnentanz by Klangkarussel
Sonnentanz by Klangkarussel on Grooveshark

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