Rösti with Herring Sauce

Name: Rösti with Herring Sauce
Ingredients: 600 g potatoes; 50 g cheese; 50 g butter + 2 tbsp vegetable oil; salt; 200 g sour cream; 100 g herring fillet; 50 g pickled cucumbers; 30 g salad onion; 1 clove garlic; 2-3 sprigs dill

Rösti is a simple yet incredibly delicious dish from Switzerland, typically made with boiled potatoes, though some versions use raw ones (I personally prefer boiled). The potatoes are grated, optionally mixed with cheese, and fried as one large pancake in a skillet. To make the rösti as flavorful as possible and bring out the full potential of the potatoes, I paired it with a sauce made from herring fillet and pickled cucumbers. That said, you can skip the sauce if you'd like — though with the sauce, it's an absolute flavor bomb. The sauce on its own is also fantastic with any other potato dish; even served alongside simple boiled potatoes, it makes for a wonderfully winning combination. After trying the rösti with herring sauce, my husband was already peeking into the fridge just a couple of hours later, wondering if there were any leftovers and whether there'd be enough for his lunch the next day :-) Which really surprised me, since he's usually pretty indifferent about food :-) All in all, it turned out absolutely delicious — I highly recommend it!

Ingredients:

600 g potatoes
50 g cheese
50 g butter + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
Sauce:
200 g sour cream
100 g herring fillet
50 g pickled cucumbers
30 g salad onion
1 clove garlic
2-3 sprigs dill

How to cook rösti with herring sauce

Peel the potatoes and cut each one in half (or into smaller pieces if they're large). It's best to use a waxy, non-crumbling variety. Drop them into salted boiling water, bring back to a boil, and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until almost tender. The potatoes should stay intact and not fall apart, but should be easily pierced with a knife.

Drain the water, let the potatoes cool completely, then grate them on a coarse grater. Add the cheese, also grated on a coarse grater, and mix together.

Cut the butter into thin slices.

Pour the vegetable oil into a skillet (mine is 24 cm in diameter) and add about one-third of the butter slices, then heat until hot. Add roughly half of the potato mixture, scatter another third of the butter slices on top, and season lightly with salt.

Spread the remaining potato mixture on top, smooth it out evenly, arrange the rest of the butter slices over it, and season lightly with salt.

Cook over medium heat for about 5–7 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown.

Now flip the rösti to the other side. To do this, press a large flat plate or board (not plastic) against the skillet, flip the rösti onto it, then slide it back into the skillet. If it loses its shape a bit in the process, don't worry — just smooth it out and press it down gently with a spatula. Cook the other side for another 5–7 minutes, or until golden brown. Note: do not cover with a lid at any point during cooking — this is exactly what gives the rösti its irresistible crispy crust.

Make the sauce. Cut the herring fillet into small pieces. Chop the pickled cucumbers, salad onion, garlic, and dill (leaves only, no stems) as finely as possible — the finer the chop, the smoother and more delicate the sauce will be.

Stir in the sour cream and mix well. The sauce will be quite thick.

Transfer the finished rösti to a plate.

Cut into portions and serve immediately while hot, generously topped with the herring sauce. The rösti is soft and tender on the inside with a crispy crust on the outside, and it's perfectly complemented by the uniquely savory, tangy herring sauce. Absolutely delicious!