1 3/4 lb Potatoes (see below) 1 1/2 tb Water or milk
3 oz Butter, lard or bacon fat
This is a favorite dish of German-speaking Switzerland.
Besides being served as a side dish with meat or fish, it is sometimes
eaten on its own, for lunch or even breakfast, with milky coffee.
The potatoes should be boiled in their jackets the day before. These
should be waxy potatoes of the potato-salad kind. The next day, peel
them and grate them on the coarsest blade of the grater. Heat a large
heavy frying pan, and let the fat get hot: then put in the potatoes,
sprinkle with salt, and fry, turning them constantly. When they have
soaked up the butter or whatever, add more. Now form a « cake » by
pushing the potatoes from the edges of the pan into the middle and
flattening down the top. Sprinkle with the water or milk, reduce
heat, and cover with a lid or inverted dish. Shake the covered pan
occasionally to keep the potatoes from burning, and leave on low heat
for at least 15 minutes. The potatoes must stick together, but not to
the bottom of the pan. When cooked, turn the cake out onto a plate,
bottom side up, and serve. (Or alternately, brown the other side as
well.) . Variations: (1) Saute 2 T chopped onions in the fat before
adding thte potatoes. Don’t let them brown. Also note that in this
version, the potatoes will need less fat. (2) Saute 2 – 3 1/2 oz.
diced bacon before adding potatoes. You won’t need any extra salt.
(3) Sprinkle cooked potatoes with grated cheese before serving, and
heat it briefly in the oven to melt it.
Yields
4 servings