Plain in Pigna
Rösti.
...a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes, in the style of a fritter.
Simple, right?
Wrong.
Rösti is my nemesis. Whether grating the boiled potatoes myself, or frying them right out of the bag, I always manage to fail spectacularly. You should be able to crisp up one side to a nice golden brown, flip it over with the help of a plate, and then crisp up the second side, but mine always ends up breaking and we have potato hash for dinner.
![Scuol, Engadine](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897549904-DJ82DJFGIJK79F8YHCGC/WXBL1080.jpg)
![KSGP7236.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897552547-GN94PZ2K0WMTRDIMV6F3/KSGP7236.jpg)
![UEOT1166.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897575013-1E4K51GUU6QNQ4LC100A/UEOT1166.jpg)
![TGNF9674.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897540424-5Q2X5LE6O2RHJO6QX16S/TGNF9674.jpg)
![KRSC0706.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897562488-UUY63GQFVS1WUDR6YA38/KRSC0706.jpg)
![CERF3689.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897570969-542DUK48HOQUWB8O80XJ/CERF3689.jpg)
![OXYL6031.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cc5010e4b0d7b9ee00a037/1484897534439-1IVX8MZSR7CDPJD3Z05R/OXYL6031.jpg)
So, imagine my glee upon discovering Plain in Pigna a traditional recipe from the Engadine valley in the canton of Grabünden. Apart from having breathtaking scenery, and keeping Switzerland's fourth official language alive, they also have an idiot-proof Rösti.
Plain in Pigna removes the two most annoying aspects of Rösti-making. Having day old boiled potatoes on hand, and the dreaded flip. Instead, you grate raw potatoes and spread them on a baking sheet. Throw in some bacon, and some cornmeal for a nice crunch. Finito.
I used a mix of the recipe from a lovely book on Bündner cooking that Sam gave me for my birthday, and Betty Bossi's version in Schwiizer Chuchi.
800 g potatoes
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp coarse cornmeal
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
50 g Bündnerfleisch (or similar), in pieces
100 g bacon, cubed
50 g butter
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6.
Peel and grate the potatoes.
In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, flour, cornmeal, nutmeg, salt and pepper, Bündnerfleisch, and bacon.
Spread the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Break the butter into little pieces and sprinkle over top.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until desired crispiness.
If you don't have Bündnerfleisch or a similar dried meat, just up your bacon by 50 g.