Mary Berry’s Crispy Bacon Rösti with Fried Egg

1. You will need a 20cm (8in) omelette pan or non-stick frying pan (see tip).

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil in the pan, add the bacon pieces and fry over a high heat for 3–4 minutes or until crisp. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and fry for a minute, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and sweat for 15 minutes until soft and tender.

3. Coarsely grate the peeled raw potatoes, then wrap in a clean tea towel and squeeze to wring out as much water – this prevents the rösti from being soggy (see tip).

4. Tip the grated raw potato into a bowl, add the softened onion and crispy bacon, season with salt and pepper and mix well.

5. Heat the remaining oil in the pan (no need to clean it first), then add the potato mixture, using the back of a spoon to press the mixture into the pan and spread it in an even layer right to the edges.

6. Cook over a low heat for 10–15 minutes, then slide a fish slice under to loosen the base and carefully turn over. The easiest way to do this is to invert the rösti on to a plate before sliding it back into the pan; you may need to add a little more oil first. Cook the other side for 10–15 minutes until both sides are golden and crisp.

7. In separate pan, fry the eggs in a little hot oil for 3–4 minutes, or until done to your liking, and serve one egg per person on top of half the crispy hot rösti.

PREPARE AHEAD: Best made and served straight away, but can be re-fried in the pan.

MARY’S EVERYDAY TIP:  It’s so important to use a small pan for making rösti. If you use a large pan, it will be tricky to make it crisp. It’s equally important to wring out the liquid from the grated potatoes before frying. If either step is not followed, it could result in soggy rösti. Grate the potatoes at the last minute and do not put them in water or the starch will be washed off, and it’s the starch that holds the mixture together.