Basically anything that involves eggs and potatoes for breakfast is my jam. I make something almost every weekend involving those two items and never get sick of it. Throw some homemade hollandaise on there, and I’m in love. A rösti translates literally to “crisp and golden” and is basically made of just shredded potatoes that are cooked until – you guessed it – crisp and golden! Basically the same as a potato latke. I jazzed mine up by adding shallots, leeks, and kale. I think I ate this entire plate in record time, though I plan to beat that record the next time I eat it.

Ingredients: (serves 1)
1 cup frozen shredded potatoes, run under water until thawed
1/2 cup lacinato kale, chopped well
2 inches of a leek, washed well and chopped small
1/4 shallot, minced
1 egg white (you’ll only need about half – keep the yolk for the hollandaise recipe below!)
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 whole egg (for poaching)
Apple cider or white vinegar (optional, for poaching water)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil

Hollandaise: (serves 1 person)
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 stick of unsalted butter
Black pepper

Start by thawing your frozen shredded potatoes by running them under the water for a minute. Squeeze out the water as best as you can, then set aside. Alternatively, you can use fresh potatoes but shredding them, rinsing them under water, then squeezing out the excess liquid… but I was feeling lazy. Anyway, add a little olive oil to a small pan and sauté the shallots, kale, and leeks until softened. In a bowl, toss together the kale/leek mixture along with the shredded potatoes, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Next mix in half an egg white and the flour to help bind the mixture. In the same pan you cooked the kale/leek in, heat some more olive oil over medium heat, then scoop the entire potato mixture into a ball and form into a flat pancake with your hands. Place in the pan and press down with your spatula to help flatten it more, while keeping the edges intact. Cook for about 5 minute, then flip it over and cook the other side for another 5 minutes. You want the outside to be golden and crispy.

While the potato cooks, make the hollandaise sauce. Fully melt the butter in the microwave. In a metal bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and lemon juice for about a minute – you’ll see it thickens a bit. Fill a pot with about an inch of water and bring it to a boil then turn off the heat. Place the metal bowl on top of the pot (making a double-boiler) and while whisking vigorously, slowly add in a little bit of the melted butter at a time. You really need to whisk fast to avoid the eggs scrambling. Once all the butter has been whisked in, remove from the double boiler and add a pinch of cayenne and black pepper. Taste and add more lemon if you’d like. Set aside until ready to use, but give it a little whisk here and there to avoid a film on the top. If it thickens to much while sitting, you can add a tiny tiny splash of warm water to loosen it.

To poach your egg, boil some water in a medium sized pot. Add about a teaspoon of apple cider or white vinegar (helps make them fluffy) then swirl the water with a spoon to create a whirlpool to drop the egg into (this will help the egg to keep its round shape.) Gently pour in the egg. Cook for about 30-60 seconds before removing with a slotted spoon. I usually lift them slightly out of the pot and gently poke the centers until it feels a little firm but runny in the center.

Top your potato rösti with your poached egg and hollandaise and get to eating!!