Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development

Add a Crunchy Accompaniment Considerations when using hash browns and rösti to add value to dishes

De Maria in New York serves this unique nigella-seed potato crisp.

Hash browns and rösti can add significant perceived value to a variety of dishes, and creating a signature version needn’t be difficult. A few considerations

Keeping It Together

While hash browns and rösti cooked in a pan require no binder, deep-fried versions will disintegrate without one. In our testing, we found that a teaspoon of flour and one beaten egg folded into two pounds of cooked shredded potato provides the needed integrity without affecting flavor and texture.

Starchy or Waxy?

The choice of whether to use a starchy Russet or a waxy red, white or gold potato is purely subjective. Our tests showed that starchy potatoes produce a lighter, fluffier patty with little or no visible potato strands, and waxy potatoes cook to a darker brown with a sharper crunch and clearly visible strands.

Raw or Cooked?

While hardcore Swiss chefs always cook their rösti from freshly shredded raw potatoes, we have found the most practical method for foodservice is to pre-cook them in simmering water and store them in their skins under refrigeration until needed. This greatly speeds cooking times and eliminates the oxidation issues a raw potato presents.


Read Gerry Ludwig’s full 2018 Trends Tour – Breakfasts


  From the Mar/Apr 2018 issue of Flavor & the Menu magazine. Read the full issue online or check if you qualify for a free print subscription.

 

 

About The Author

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Gerry Ludwig is a nationally recognized food writer, speaker and trend tracker, and leads the Culinary R&D department at Gordon Food Service, based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Using a proprietary street-level research method as his exclusive data source, Gerry and his team create trends-based menu solutions that are executed at the operator level by the company’s team of culinary specialists. Gerry is a contributing writer for Flavor & The Menu and conducts seminars and workshops at numerous industry events in both the United States and abroad, and oversees customer-facing restaurant research tours in major cities throughout the United States.