Rösti is a Swiss treat of shredded, cooked potatoes fried into a thick cake until golden. Here we fold in some onions and corned beef for a breakfast dish that gives a nod to corned beef hash.

Game plan: In Switzerland, rösti is so popular that many markets sell pre-grated, pre-cooked potatoes for use in this dish. We actually found that grating the raw potatoes and placing them in a strainer eliminates the need to pre-cook them, saving time without sacrificing flavor.

If so desired, you could sub in pastrami for the corned beef in this recipe. Store-bought is fine, or you could make your own.

This recipe was featured as part of our Make Your Own Corned Beef project.

  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 35 mins

Ingredients (6)

  • 1 pound white potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 4 ounces corned beef or pastrami, small dice (about 1 cup)

Instructions

  1. Peel the potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and transfer the grated potatoes to the strainer. Add the salt and pepper and toss to combine; set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle half of the potatoes over the onions and stir to combine. Press with a spatula into an even layer. Sprinkle all of the corned beef or pastrami evenly over the potatoes, then top with the remaining potatoes and press again with the spatula to form a large potato cake. Cook undisturbed until the underside is golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. To flip the rösti, slide it out of the pan onto a large plate. Place a second large plate over the potatoes and invert. Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Slide the rösti back into the pan, reshape if necessary with the spatula, and cook the second side until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Slide onto a cutting board, slice, and serve.