Sweet Potato Rösti

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Rösti is a traditional Swiss dish: shredded potatoes fried in butter, served crispy and thin. You might know this more familiarly as hash browns or latkes. As I experimented with this recipe, I tried all different kinds of methods for the crispiest potatoes. I learned that the combination of ghee and clarified butter in a hot cast-iron skillet makes the best flavor and texture combination. Röstis can be made big or small, so whether you’re looking for a dinner party appetizer or a shared plate, it’s hard to go wrong with butter and potatoes. This flavor combination is an excellent balance, blending the sweetness from the potatoes, the creamy saltiness from the cheese and the lovely acidity from the pickled onions.

Make 2 large Rösti, serving 4

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 eggs
8 tablespoons ghee
4 ounces Vermont cheddar cheese, shredded
⅓ cup pickled red onions
2 cups arugula, loosely packed

Rinse and grate the sweet potatoes with a large-sized grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Gather the four corners of the towel and begin to squeeze the potato shreds over the sink to remove any excess water.

To a large mixing bowl, add the dried potatoes, flour, salt and eggs. Using your hands, massage the mixture until fully combined.

Melt 2 tablespoons of ghee in an 8–10-inch nonstick skillet on medium-low heat and add half the potato mixture in an even layer. Fry the rösti for 8–10 minutes without disturbing it. Using a spatula or dinner plate, carefully flip the rösti and add the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee to the pan before frying the other side for another 6–8 minutes. Repeat with the remaining shredded potatoes and ghee. Top the röstis with shredded cheese, pickled onions and arugula.

This recipe appeared in the Fall 2026 issue as part of a larger story, Traditional Dishes Reimagined with the New England Fall Harvest.