Potato Rosti With Rich Mushroom Sauce

Potato Rosti With

Rich Mushroom Sauce

Plant Based or Vegetarian / Gluten Free

Serves 4

This beautiful swiss recipe is based on Zurich’s traditional Geschnetzeltes dish. Rosti is prepared by shallow-frying grated potatoes with butter and seasoning. Crispy on the outside and soft and buttery in the centre, it is hard to imagine a better way to enjoy potatoes. Geschnetzeltes is a rich, creamy mushroom sauce, typically made with veal, mushrooms, wine, cream and beef stock. However, our lighter version with plant based ingredients and rich sweet sherry, is equally -if not more- flavoursome and full bodied.

Ingredients

For the mushroom sauce:

1tbsp butter of choice

3 small shallots, peeled & finely chopped

350g mushrooms, sliced 

60ml sweet sherry

125ml prepared vegetable stock ( we used Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base)*

200ml crème fraiche (we used half-fat crème fraiche)

2tbsp corn flour mixed with 2tbsp cold water

2tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped

For the potato rosti:

4 baking potatoes, peeled & parboiled

4tbsp melted butter of choice

1tsp salt

1tsp pepper

Method

To prepare the rich mushroom sauce, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Gently sauté the shallots for 5 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until they release their juices and are halved in volume. Turn the heat up and pour in the sherry. Allow it to reduce slightly. Pour in the prepared stock and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Mix in the crème fraiche and finally add the corn flour slurry. Continue to simmer while stirring, until the sauce has thickened. Take off the heat and mix in the chopped chives, reserving some for garnish. Season with some freshly ground pepper and extra salt if needed.

For the rosti, coarsely grate the potatoes into a medium sized bowl. Add 2tbsp of the melted butter, the salt and pepper and gently mix. Add 1 tablespoon of butter into a large frying pan over medium heat. Spoon the potato mixture into the pan and distribute it evenly without compacting it too much. Lower the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. (Gently lift the sides of the rosti periodically, to check if it has browned). Using a large cutting board to cover, invert the rosti onto the board. Add another tablespoon of butter into the pan and slide the rosti back into it. Continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, until the other side has browned. Serve immediately, topped with the lovely rich mushroom sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Some people prepare the rosti with raw grated potatoes, but we have found that parboiling them whole, for about 10 minutes ensures that they cook perfectly in the pan. To do so, peel the potatoes, pierce them with a skewer a few times, and place them whole in a deep saucepan, covered in cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 7-10 minutes. They should still feel quite firm. Allow to cool, ideally chill overnight, before grating.

Rosti is best eaten immediately.

The mushroom sauce keeps in the fridge for a few days. You can also freeze any left overs, to save for another day.

*Any vegetable stock can be used for this recipe, however we find this product , although fairly pricey in the UK, really enhances the flavour.