Rösti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes and while the inclusion of white potatoes as a safe starch in the paleo template is much debated at present, we're going to keep it traditional and use a couple of more conventional tubers: daikon and parsnip.
Daikon in Japanese literally means "great root" and has a mild radish flavour. On the Indian sub-continent, it is called Mooli.
Great! No, "Grate!" Yes, I mean "grate"! Let's get grating ...
Peel and grate a 6" length of daikon into a bowl and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, discarding it. This is the same process as potato. I also like to fry off the grated root in a pre-heated pan, but keep it moving so as not to colour it.
You could just leave it at that and make up a single rösti, double the amount for a couple of rösti or add in another flavour. Return to the bowl.
Peel and grate a parsnip into the bowl - no need to squeeze out parsnips; they're not that full of water. Mix together.
In a frying pan, melt down a good chunk of butter - about half an inch off the end of block of butter is fine. Pour over the grated roots, mix together, grind a little fresh black pepper over and add in a little sea salt if so desired.
Place a couple of rings in the frying pan and spoon in the rösti mix, pressing down to make a firm pack.
Place the frying pan back on the heat and get the rösti frying off - three or four minutes on one side and then flip them over carefully so as not to lose structure. Fry on the other side for three or four minutes and turn back and forth for a couple of minutes at a time, as required.
Meanwhile, in another frying pan add a small chunk of butter and get the spinach wilting down.
Boil up a pan of water sufficient for your eggs - a milk pan is ideal.
Splash in a tablespoon, or so, of white distilled vinegar, lower the heat and swirl the water. Drop an egg cracked into a ramekin into the swirling water and let it poach for a few minutes until the white has hardened. Too long and the yolk will cook.
Splash in a tablespoon, or so, of white distilled vinegar, lower the heat and swirl the water. Drop an egg cracked into a ramekin into the swirling water and let it poach for a few minutes until the white has hardened. Too long and the yolk will cook.
If you are doing more than one egg, you can get the initial cooking after dropping into the swirling water done and then retrieve the egg into cold water. Repeat until all the eggs are done this way and then return all the eggs into the hot water to warm through and cook on.
The lot should come together in unison ...
Turn out the rösti onto the middle of a plate, spoon over the spinach, plate the egg atop and cut it on one side to release the yolk. Crush a little sea salt over, maybe a sprinkle of chopped chives, maybe a final grind of freshly milled black pepper - it's your egg.
Än guete!
