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Challenging Rosti potato topping

Asked on 29 Jan 2026 by Bojack40

Hi Lindsey, I have just made the fish pie with rosti caper topping. I found peeling and grating the half cooked potato’s really a challenge. on the one hand they were cooked enough to pull off some of the skin easily, on the other a bit too soft for grating. My potato's were not huge and i cut them in half, so they were about 2-3” sq, and they were in for 12m. If i did them for less time, they would be easier to grate, but would the skins be stuck fast? Why not peel them before boiling? Regards, Andrew

Lindsey, Food Editor replied

Hello Andrew,

Did you use Desiree Potatoes?

We have some, so I have just checked this Rösti topping recipe using a whole potato 2 by 3 inches and large potato 2.5 by 5 inches cut in halved.

Covered in boiling water, added some salt then brought back to the boil, put a lid on and turned the heat down so that it was still boiling but not furiously and cooked then for 12 mins.

Drained off the water, covered with a tea towel and left them for 15 minutes.

Then using a small sharp knife, I peeled of the papery skins away fairly easily and just used the knife here and there where the skin was more resistant and there were some rougher bits of skin.

Then I grated them pressing quite firmly.

The gratings are identifiable but a bit flourier near the cut edges.

If you didn’t use Desiree that could be a reason.

I think keeping the skins on gives a better result overall, but you could cook them less perhaps, with a little more use with the knife to help remove the peel.

Kind regards

Lindsey