A slow-brunch favourite: crisp potato cakes, runny eggs and a spoon of green herb oil to wake everything up.
This is the breakfast I make when friends stay over and nobody is in a hurry to leave. It looks a little fancy on the plate, but it is really just three simple things done well: crisp potato, a soft egg and something green and bright to bring it all together.
I first made rösti on a rainy holiday in the mountains, in a tiny rented kitchen with one frying pan and a blunt grater. It has been a favourite ever since, and the herb oil is my own addition, a quick blitz of whatever soft herbs are in the fridge.
The secret to a really crisp rösti
- Squeeze the potato dry. Wrap it in a clean tea towel and twist until no more water comes out.
- Use a hot pan. The oil should shimmer before the potato goes in.
- Leave it alone. Let each side build a deep golden crust before you turn it.
Poaching eggs without the stress
Use the freshest eggs you can find. Fresh whites hold together neatly, while older ones spread into wispy ribbons in the water.
Keep the water at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, add a splash of vinegar, and crack each egg into a small cup first so you can slide it in carefully.
If you are cooking for a crowd, poach the eggs ahead and keep them in a bowl of cold water. A minute in hot water warms them through just before serving.
The full recipe is in the card below, ready to print for your next slow brunch.
Kitchen kit
What you’ll need
Cast-iron skillet
Chef's knife
Wooden chopping board
Recipe
Poached Eggs on Herbed Potato Rösti
Golden potato rösti topped with soft poached eggs and a bright green herb oil.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 25 mins
- Total
- 45 mins
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the rösti
- 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb), grated
- 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the eggs
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the herb oil
- 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley and chives
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the rösti
- 2 large floury potatoes (about 700 g), grated
- 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the eggs
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the herb oil
- 15 g parsley and chives
- 60 ml olive oil
Method
- Squeeze the grated potato dry in a clean tea towel, then season and mix with the shallot.
- Fry spoonfuls in olive oil, pressing flat, until deep golden on both sides.
- Blend the herbs with the oil and a pinch of salt to make the herb oil.
- Poach the eggs in barely simmering water with the vinegar for 3 minutes.
- Top each rösti with an egg and finish with the herb oil.
Notes
- Grate the potato onto a tea towel and squeeze hard. Dry potato is the secret to a crisp rösti.
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