I make my own with grated potato, you have to put the grated potatoes in a clean teacloth and squeeze all the liquid out of them. I add finely sliced onion to the potatoes. Been making it for years since I lived in Scotland where we like all things to do with tatties
Traditional Rösti is made by boiling the potatoes first.
I boil the potatoes and run them under cold water (speeds up the peeling process) then I grate them with the largest grating bit of a box grater.
Melt some butter in a frying pan (non-stick or heavy-duty but well used skillet) until it bubbles but doesn't brown.
Add the potatoes with a bit of salt and spread them out and flatten gently but don't hammer them down.
It's usually done on one side when the edges are brown or lift it gently a little bit with a spatula to check.
Turn it over a la Swedish Chef or put a large plate upside town over the pan and turn it over (may help to butter the plate first).
Slide the Röschti back in the pan and cook the other side.
If you want to use onions or bacon, slice the onion finely and cut bacon into small strips or cubes and fry first. Take it out of the pan and mix with the grated potatoes before making the Röschti. You can also add a bit of grated cheese at that point.
Bon appetit!
PS I bought one of those packets once but wouldn't do so again, not even if WWIII is looming.
I pressure-cook the potatoes for max 1 minute in the morning, then take them out and let them cool during the day in a covered bowl - which seems to help loosen the skins. Does the cold water method also work to get the skins loose?
Cold potatoes definitely work best. Easier to peel and make Röschti with. If you use them hot you tend to get more of a sticky mess because of the hot starch.
I run them under cold water for a few seconds but don't immerse them. I find the skin then comes loose in large bits.
Also, I don't make the Röschti very thick, otherwise you just get a lot of mashy type potato in the middle. And don't be afraid to cook it for quite a while - it should be nicely golden brown.
For peeling I've seen people score a line around the circumference of the skin then put them in boling water for a short time, then into an ice bath/cold water, the skin wants nothing more to do with the main body of potato.
Matty, I think where you went wrong was with "break up the package." We use a nonstick with a couple of teaspoons of butter. Slide the whole square of roesti out of the packet *just as is* (don't disturb its shape). Do not use a lid, and cook it a lot longer than called for, as others said. Don't try to turn it until the bottom is a solid crust. Good luck.
Sorry Bossybaby. I know you're a great cook and I love your pictures but I am shocked and horrified that you would even consider Röschti out of a packet. I am a lazy cook at heart, but I do have my standards.
I had the biggest problem with turning the darn thing, Now I find a plate that fits neatly inside the pan and when ready press it down on the rösti, turn the whole shebang over and then slide the result back in the pan.
I agree with cooking a lot longer than it says on the packet, use a little oil not butter and no lid on the pan
That's your biggest problem. If you want to keep at least some illusions of Swiss Gourmet cooking, stay away from packets. That includes Fondue, but that's a whole other story.
Boil potates one day before for about 20-30 min an peel them under cold water. Keep them cool( outside or in the cellar) over night. Shred them the next day and salt generously.