Rosti

Basically, Rosti are grated potato cakes that are fried in butter. They originated in Switzerland where they eat them for brekfast - which is probably where America got its inspiration for "hash browns" - and are considered a national treasure. These days they are more common as a garnish for meat and fish dishes.

Ingredients:

1 lb Maris Piper potatoes
2 cloves of garlic - peeled and crushed
the leaves from a thyme sprig - chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil and butter for cooking

Method:

1. Peel and grate the potato. Place it on a clean tea-towel then gather up the corners and twist to squeeze out the excess water.

2. Place the potato in a bowl and mix in the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and shape into little cakes using a plain round pastry cutter. They should be around 1cm thick.

3. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of oil and a knob of butter. Using a spatula, transfer the cakes to the pan and cook for two minutes or until golden. Flip over and repeat.

The beauty of rosti, as with most potato dishes, is that you can add any variety of flavours. Try adding grated onion and chopped sage to serve with chicken breasts, or ginger and chilli to serve with pork fillet. You can also buy little "blini" pans to cook and serve the rosti's in or just make one huge one in a large frying pan and cut it into wedges.