Help for the home cook: chef Missy Hui’s delicious potato rosti

Help for the home cook: chef Missy Hui’s delicious potato rosti

If you want to change up your self-isolation mealtime repertoire, then Toronto chef Missy Hui has a recipe for you. Hui is among the more than 30 chefs working in collaboration with Dairy Farmers of Ontario to create Savour Ontario at Home, a free recipe collection designed to inspire passionate home chefs.

Her potato rosti is a family-pleasing, day-or-evening dish made with delicious Niagara Gold, a washed rind, semi-soft cheese from Upper Canada Cheese in Jordan Station, Ont., and it’s served with salsa verde.

Chef Missy Hui

Missy Hui has worked in some of the top restaurants in Toronto, as a longtime chef with The McEwan Group, including as executive chef of Fabbrica. She’s also known to TV viewers as a contestant (and episode winner) on the first season of Chopped Canada. Her passion for cooking came to life when she was growing up in Hamilton, and spending most days after school cooking and eating with her grandma. Missy now teaches at George Brown College and operates a catering and consultancy called Eatkander.

“I am both happy and proud to be Canadian,” she says. “Supporting our local farmers, producers, small businesses and restaurants, and helping those who are experiencing food insecurity, however we each can, to me are quintessentially Canadian acts—especially in these challenging times. Luckily for all of us, eating local also happens to be delicious!”

Here’s her recipe.

Potato Rosti with
Niagara Gold and Salsa Verde

Serves: 6

Rosti ingredients
  • 5 packed cups (1kg) yukon gold potatoes, grated or julienned
  • 1 packed cup (125g) white onion, grated or julienned
  • 1 1/2 tsp (9g) kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp (about 1g) fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup (60g) Niagara Gold Cheese from Upper Canada Cheese in Jordan Station
  • 1/4 cup (50g) pizza mozzarella (I recommend Quality Cheese in Vaughan)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (I use Stirling Creamery butter, from Stirling, Ont.)
  • 2 tbsp canola oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)
Salsa verde ingredients
  • 1/2 bunch (100g) fresh coriander
  • 1/2 bunch (100g) fresh parsley
  • 1pc (25g) small shallot
  • 1 clove (3g) garlic
  • 1/2 tsp (1g) ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp (<1g) smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (110g) canola oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Rosti instructions
  1. Preheat a 10” cast iron pan over low-medium heat on the stovetop. If you do not have a well-seasoned cast iron pan, then a similar sized non-stick frying pan will also work.
  2. Julienne (using a mandolin) or grate (using a large hole box grater) the potato and the onion into a bowl.
  3. Add the kosher salt to the potato and onion and hand mix to evenly distribute the salt. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes so that the salt can draw out any excess moisture.
  4. Measure your cheeses.
  5. Transfer the potato and onion mixture to a strainer and press out as much liquid as you can. You should normally lose about 15% of your weight, or 1/2 cup of liquid.
  6. Return the potato and onions to the bowl and mix in the black pepper.
  7. Add the 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter to your preheated pan making sure the bottom and sides are evenly coated. Carefully place half of your potato mixture into the pan and gently press down to ensure that it makes even contact with the bottom of the pan.
  8. Let potato cook undisturbed for 6-8 minutes before checking. When the potato crust is cohesive and approaching golden brown, using oven mitts or kitchen towels, place a plate or wooden cutting board over the pan and invert.
  9. Return your empty pan to the stove and add the remaining canola oil and unsalted butter. When butter has melted add in the rest of your raw potato mixture and press into bottom of pan like before.
  10. Keeping about a 1” border along the outside of you pan, evenly arrange the cheese in the centre of your raw potato.
  11. Using a spatula, gently slide the par-cooked potato on top of your cheese. Press down gently and using your spatula to gently form the sides of the potato together.
  12. Continue to cook on the stove top undisturbed 6-8 minutes before checking. When the potato is just tender and crispy golden brown all over it is ready to enjoy.
Tips

If you are nervous about flipping the potato out of the pan, then you can also make this recipe with excellent results buy preheating a dutch oven at 400°F (200°C) in a conventional oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, add in all fats and then layer the potato and cheese all at once. Return dutch oven to the conventional oven and cook uncovered for 25 minutes.

Salsa verde instructions
  1. Wash and dry all herbs.
  2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until everything is fine chopped and has a creamy appearance.
  3. Season with salt and black pepper.
  4. Serve with rosti and fresh herbs.