The Role Of Fat In Making Perfectly Crispy Rösti

Buttery, toasted potato pancakes are a tough dish to beat, particularly when you've put forth the effort to make authentic rösti using parboiled whole potatoes. Yet, as straightforward as the recipe might sound, potato rösti can be a difficult dish to nail. The presentation requires some semblance of patience, as grated potatoes are soaked in herb-flavored water, squeezed and drained, then salted and seasoned before being set into a cast-iron skillet to cook. The cooking method can make or break the texture of the potatoes, as the right amount of heat and fat must align to produce a texturally satisfying, crispy, golden crunch that gives way to a moist, satisfying middle.

Just as potato recipes such as french fries, potato chips, and hash browns call for a generous amount of fat to achieve a perfectly crispy exterior, so too does the mighty rösti. Whether you use clarified butter or lard, lead with an ample hand to coat these potato pancakes. Ghee, clarified butter, and lard can withstand higher temperatures, allowing you to focus on the recipe without having to worry about easily burning the dish.

Butter can build dimension in your recipe, or you can fry the rösti in rapeseed oil and then finish the crisping efforts with a smaller amount of butter. For meat lovers in your home, lard can offer subtle waves of porky flavor to the potatoes, or just as you might make a pie crust, you can use a combination of butter and lard for the perfect balance of crispness and flavor. Duck or bacon fat can also lend unique flavors to your dishes. 

As tempting as it might be to flip and fuss with the shredded potato mass, letting the pancake cook for the appropriate time is key to serving up a rösti that will leave no crumb behind. Complete your plated spread with fried eggs, smoked fish, fresh herbs, and homemade crème fraîche, and your culinary efforts will be well rewarded as soon as you take the first bite out of that warm, crispy rösti.