When planning my HEIDI menu, it was very important to me that at least one recipe include goat cheese. Heidi and her grandfather are always drinking goat’s milk and eating cheese, and, along with soft white rolls, these are the foods mentioned most frequently in the book.
I toyed with the idea of making my own goat cheese, but most stores carry ultra-pastuerized, which is no good for making cheese. Instead I decided to incorporate store bought cheese into my side dish. I already knew I wanted to make a potato/cheese side dish, since Heidi eats them in the winter in Dörfli, so I started researching and discovered potato rosti.
Potato rosti are a traditional Swiss side dish (Heidi lives in the Swiss Alps). They’re essentially hash brown patties, sometimes made with fillings or toppings. I don’t need much of an excuse to make fried potatoes, and I was extra pleased when I found a potato rosti recipe with goat cheese and leeks by Serena from Domesticate Me. The only big change I made was swapping out the thyme for oregano, since I had some leftover from making baked walleye. It turned out amaaazing! I loved how the oniony sweetness of the leeks and creaminess of the warm cheese offset the oil of the fried potatoes.
With a few key tips, this recipe is really easy to make:
- If using cast iron, make sure it’s very well-seasoned. Otherwise your potatoes will fuse to the pan, and there’s NO WAY you’re flipping that thing in one piece.
- When adding your layers, move fast. Each side only needs to cook for a few minutes. You don’t want it to burn while you’re arranging leeks.
Enjoy!
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Swiss Potato Rosti with Goat Cheese and Leeks
“Peter grinned widely at this unexpected change of tune and sat down. Heidi was so excited at the thought of seeing Grannie again that she couldn’t eat anymore and passed him the rest of her potatoes and cheese. Uncle Alp had already given him a plate piled high with food and he attacked it all with gusto.”
— Heidi
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large leek
- 4-6 medium potatoes (about 4 cups when grated)
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 oz crumbled goat cheese
Makes 1 7-inch rosti
INSTRUCTIONS:
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- To prep your leek, cut away the roots and green leaves, then slice the white end in half length-wise. Lay each half flat on a cutting board and slice width-wise into thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, swirling regularly. Leeks are notorious for getting little bits of dirt between the layers, so this ensures grit-free leeks in your rosti.
- While your leeks soak, peel and coarsely grate your potatoes (I recommend a food processor for the grating. It goes MUCH faster). Working in 2-3 batches, place grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel, twist tightly closed, and squeeze as much water out over the sink as you can. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the oregano, salt, and pepper until well incorporated.
- Drain your leeks and pat dry. Add butter to a large nonstick pan or very well seasoned cast iron skillet. Place over medium heat. Cook the leeks for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Wipe pan clean and place over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When it is hot (you can check by adding a strand of potato to see if it sizzles energetically), add half the potatoes, spreading them out quickly in a 7-inch circle. Working quickly, layer on the leeks, goat cheese, and remaining potatoes.
- When the rosti has been cooking for 3 minutes (which might be how long it takes to add all the layers, so keep an eye on the clock), flip it onto a plate, then transfer it back to the pan to cook for another 3 minutes on the raw side. You may want to check with an offset spatula to make sure the bottom of the rosti is fully loose from the pan before trying to flip.
- Flip finished rosti onto a serving plate and serve to Heidi and her Grandfather during the cold alpine winter.
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Check out my other potato recipes!
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