POTATO AND CARROT ROSTI, POACHED EGG AND STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

POTATO AND CARROT ROSTI, POACHED EGG AND STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

2 Potatoes

1 Carrot

1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 Teaspoon Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon Flour

Assorted Vegetables (Green Beans, Carrots, Asparagus etc)

1 Egg

Butter for Sautéing

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Olive Oil for Frying

For the rosti, grate a couple of medium sized potatoes and a carrot. Get rid of all the moisture from the grated potatoes and carrot by squeezing it through a tea towel or muslin cloth. This will allow the rosti to crisp up while it is being fried. Too much moisture will create steam in the frying pan and thus the rosti will braise and not fry. Transfer the contents to a bowl and to it add a teaspoon of cumin powder, a teaspoon of chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. To bind it all together, add a teaspoon of flour. Mix all the ingredients well and shape into a decent sized circular patti. Depending on the size of potatoes used, you may be able to get two patties out of the mixture. Work the patti on the palm of your hand and flatten it to a thickness of roughly half an inch. If it is too thick you run the risk of browning the exterior while leaving it raw in the middle. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and gently place the rosti in the center. Leave it to fry on a low heat till the base is nicely coloured. After giving it roughly four minutes on one side, flip it over, just like a burger, and get it to colour on the other side too. Once that is done you can pop it in the oven for another five minutes just to ensure it is cooked all the way to the center. When done leave it aside and move on to the rest of the elements of the dish.

For the steamed vegetables you can use whatever you fancy. Green beans and carrots are used in this recipe, but asparagus, baby corn, spinach etc also work really well. Secure a steam basket over a pot of boiling water and place the chopped vegetables in it. Steam the vegetables for not more than a minute, as they will be sautéed in butter later on just before serving.

The poached egg is a bit technical. Fill a deep pan with water and bring it to a simmer while on the heat. As soon as the water starts to simmer, but not boil, crack open an egg into the water. Let the egg sit in the simmering water, occasionally swirling the water so that the egg white somewhat envelopes the yolk. Do so gently as you do not want to damage the egg while it is in the water. Let the egg sit on the water for roughly eight minutes. The idea is to have the yolk runny, but if you prefer a firmer yolk then leave it in for a couple of minutes more. Using a deep spoon remove the egg and set it aside.

In a pan melt a knob of butter and toss in the steamed vegetables. Sauté the vegetables for a couple of minutes and finish it off with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Secure the rosti in the center of the plate and carefully place the poached egg on top of it. Ladle a generous helping of the espagnole sauce over the egg and serve with the vegetables. (For Espagnole Sauce, refer to blog post: ESPAGNOLE SAUCE, 16^TH FEBURARY 2012)