There are about a gazillion recipes for potato pancakes hailing from nearly every corner of the world—American diner hash browns, Jewish latkes, Persian kuku, Korean gamja-jeon, Irish boxty…the list literally goes on and on. And there’s good reason for this. Beyond the fact that fried potatoes are always delicious, it’s a simple, affordable dish that can be enjoyed pretty much any time of the year and for any meal of the day. While we are, of course, approaching peak latke season, I’ve been enjoying a giant spiced potato pancake that’s most similar to a Swiss rösti, which, unlike a latke, doesn’t typically include the addition of egg as a binder.
My rösti takes inspiration from the flavors of Middle Eastern shawarma. I season the potatoes and a grated onion with a rich blend of paprika, turmeric, cumin, and just a pinch of cinnamon. To balance out the spice, I serve the rösti with a creamy and tangy white sauce (similar to the kind typically enjoyed with shawarma) and a few poached eggs, which turn this dish into a hearty meal.
I begin by grating a couple russet potatoes and half an onion on a box grater and pressing or squeezing out as much liquid as possible, which prevents sogginess later. Then I mix the spices into the potatoes, add the whole mixture to a preheated cast iron skillet, and bake until dark golden brown. Rösti is typically fried on the stove, which takes less time but requires a semi-acrobatic flip halfway through the cooking process. Baking the rösti in a hot oven makes for equally crispy results while allowing time to prepare the garnishes and poach a few eggs (plus there’s no flipping required). Preheating the skillet is a key step here—it not only produces a super crispy texture but also prevents the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
The white sauce is a simple mix of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, and a couple spoonfuls of juice from a jar of pepperoncini. I’d normally reach for lemon juice here, but pepperoncini juice is an easy way to add salty-briny-tangy flavor, plus I like to throw a few of the pickled peppers on top of the finished rösti for a piquant garnish that contrasts the richness of the dish.
While I’m currently loving this combination of spices and pepperoncini, this recipe is ripe for riffing. Try swapping in curry powder or adding a handful of freshly chopped herbs to the potato mixture. Or keep things simple and skip the spices entirely. Pepperoncini add a bracing kick of salt and acid, so anything briny would be a welcome substitute—try cornichons or pickled onions. This meal is your excuse to eat fried potatoes for dinner, so dress it up however you like.
