Rosti -Goat's cheese & bacon

Adding goat’s cheese and bacon to the traditional Swiss dish of rosti transforms it into a simple warming supper.

Thinly grated potatoes, pan-fried until crisp and golden, rosti is one of Switzerland’s iconic national dishes. Though no one knows when the first rosti was cooked-up, farmers in the canton of Bern would traditionally eat it for breakfast. It is now found throughout the country and across mealtimes. For a brilliant winter rendition, indulge in a Rosti Valaisanne, from the canton of Valais. Served steaming in a ceramic dish, Rosti Valaisanne is a delightfully addictive mash-up of rosti topped with salty bacon, fried egg, and melted raclette cheese, served alongside tangy gherkins and pickled pearl onions.

Ingredients

1kg medium-sized floury potato, such as Desirée or Maris Piper

1 onion, finely chopped

100g lardon (diced bacon)

8 fresh sage leaves

100g firm goat's cheese, such as chèvre blanc or Capricorn

Method

Boil the potatoes in skins for 20-25 minutes, until just tender. Leave to cool, peel, then coarsely grate into a bowl. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium non-stick frying pan, add the onion and lardons and fry for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and lightly tinged with brown.

Stir in the sage leaves and remove from the heat. Stir the onion, lardons and any juices left in the pan into the grated potato. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the frying pan, add half the potato mixture and spread over the pan. Crumble the goat’s cheese into small pieces, then sprinkle evenly over the potatoes. Spread the remaining potato over the top to seal in the cheese and press down lightly with the back of a wooden spoon.