As you may know by now, we have a particular affinity for Switzerland and for Swiss Food. For this dish, we combined two classics: Rösti, which is a crispy potato pancake, and Raclette, which is a melted cheese that then gets scraped onto plates and served with gherkins/cornichons, pearl onions, and boiled baby potatoes. We thought that since both culinary icons incorporate potatoes, there was a natural intersection for the two.
So, we made our Rösti, topped it with gherkins/cornichons and pearl onions (white and red because we felt particularly whimsical, and then melted raclette over it all for a glorious side dish! We then served it with Geschnetzeltes (this one made with chicken and oyster mushrooms). For a finishing touch, I asked my sous chef to start up the cuckoo clock and ring our Swiss cowbell to signal the feast was ready!
Time: 35 Minutes (especially if you prep the onions ahead of time)
Ingredients:
- Shredded Potato. We were pressed for time, so we used frozen, but check out our original Rösti Recipe for how to use fresh.
- Pearl Onions
- Gherkins/Cornichons
- Sliced Raclette
- Raclette Seasoning
Method:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, and then place your onions (about 4 per serving) in the boiling water. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, and then remove into an ice bath.
- Heat some cast iron, and melt a few tablespoons of butter in it.
- When your butter stops bubbling, add your shredded potato, and form it into the size cakes you like. Let your potatoes cook for 7-8 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown on the bottom.
- As your potatoes cook, slice your gherkins. Then, prep your onions by cutting the bulb end off and then squeezing the onion out of the outer skin.
- Flip your rösti, and add another couple of tablespoons of butter to your pan. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
- Arrange your onion and gherkin atop your potatoes, and then place your raclette atop everything. Top it all off with some raclette seasoning.
- Turn your broiler on high, and put your pan under the broiler to melt your cheese.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
