HOLIDAY MEAL: CRISPY, CHEESY POTATO PANCAKE
The first Christmas tree Andras and I bought together was an 8-foot blue spruce for our 8-square-foot studio apartment in New York City, just two months after we married. I remember how the way I looked at him, carrying that tree like it was no big deal, ignoring the prickers or the weight of it, crossing our busy streets to our quiet cul de sac on the East River. That night I lit candles. I made a perfect omelet, salad and a chocolate pie. He put on music. We both smiled, a lot.
That was 11 years ago this year. Honestly, it’s been a looooong, time since we put that kind of effort into a meal just for us.
For the thirteen years I’ve known my husband, we’ve spent every since Christmas with my family. It’s a gift that he’s given up Christmas at home with his family in Hungary, without blinking, because he’s that kind of guy. If there’s one tiny thing I can do to thank him--it is to make the kinds of things his mom would be making for the holidays: Hungarian Beigli (a walnut or poppy stuffed yeasted bread) and a perfectly crisp potato rösti--or in Hungarian Tócsni or Lapcsánka, shredded potato pancakes that are golden and crunchy on the outside and still tender and satisfying inside.
I’ve been kind of crazy about perfecting rosti this season--getting that super crisp crust, and mastering how to flip it all in one piece. A few weeks ago, I found my rösti hero: cheese. Adding a bit of shredded, melty cheese keeps it all together and helps it browns in a way that’s utterly irresistible.
It should be an alpine-style cheese, and for us Roth’s creamy, nutty Grand Cru is the ticket. My kids and Andras eat this lovable aged cheese sliced on cheese boards all season long, but I learned this week it also gives me a super addictive edge for our holiday classic.
I top our giant potato pancake with a lemony herbed gremolata--but it would also be a perfect headliner for a vegetarian Christmas Eve meal with a gorgeous kale salad, or beautiful served with a smoked salmon as a good way to start the New Year. In my house, I’m going to make this a more regular thing all winter long--since for the man who doesn’t need scarves or socks or even a fancy new running watch for Christmas, the man who’s given up Hungarian Christmas for a decade of my family traditions, these potato pancakes hold the key to his heart.
RECIPE BELOW
CHEESY POTATO Rösti WITH HERB GREMOLATA
Rösti
3 medium to large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 sprigs rosemary (or 2 tablespoons rosemary sprigs)
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces Roth Grand Cru cheese, shredded
Creme fraiche, optional
GREMOLATA:
⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes on the mandolin, or with a sharp knife. Stack the slices and cut into thin matchsticks (this can also be done completely on a mandoline or with a food processor, but I don’t recommend box grating the potatoes for this.
Heat the butter and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and rosemary, moving every so often, until parts are getting crispy and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.
When about half of the potatoes seem brown, flip the potatoes and sprinkle on the cheese, moving around with a spatula to spread it out over the cake (it’s fine if some of the cheese settles into the pan, but you don’t want all of it at the bottom or sides of the pan, since it will brown quickly. Ideally, it should be spread throughout the potatoes with a larger portion in the middle).
At this point, the potatoes should have settled into a round, flat pancake. Transfer the skillet to the hot oven to bake until the top and bottom are crispy golden brown, and the center is soft but cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the gremolata: Toss together the parsley, lemon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Just before serving, add in the olive oil and sprinkle over the top of the potato pancake.
SERVES 4 to 6
**This Post was Sponsored by ROTH CHEESE. All opinions are my own.** images belong to Sarah Copeland, and should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **
Photos // HARRISON LUBIN
Food + Prop Styling // SARAH COPELAND
Cutting Boards // HUDSON WORKSHOP
Espresso Mugs // LAIL DESIGN
Cast-Iron Skillet // FIELD COMPANY
China // VINTAGE