After my studies in Germany and my first move to Switzerland, I came to learn the story of rösti. This typical Swiss dish started to be prepared approximately 100 years after potatoes were first imported to Europe. At that time, potatoes became so popular in Switzerland that they replaced the traditional and commonly eaten oat-flake stew.

The name rösti comes from the region of Bern. The Bernese started to slice potatoes and "roast" them in an iron pan in the form of a big golden cake. The name therefore comes from the words for "roasted potato cake."

In the beginning, rösti were eaten for breakfast and the people were even dipping them into their milk-coffee. Later on, it started to be served as a side dish. There are hundreds of ways to prepare rösti — it varies from region to region. This recipe is a standard one that was used at the beginning. You can change the taste by adding onions, bacon, herbs, vegetables or sausages to the potatoes to your liking. For cooking the veal Zurich-style, we use Swiss fendant white wine, which we recommend also as a drink to accompany this dish.

Many people are not able to prepare a proper rösti. Either they do not cook the potatoes enough and it is too dry, or they overcook them and it looks like a grilled potato purée. Some people wonder if it is better to use butter or pork fat for frying. The butter gives the dish a softer taste, but the potatoes cannot be fried at a very high temperature, and then they're not crispy. Then people discuss how to cut the potatoes: Should they should be grated or cut into fine strips? Even in Switzerland they debate whether it is better to fry them on one side or both.

There is no clear answer — the preparation varies according to the region, each of which has its own style. My own preferred way is to use half butter and half pork fat, grate the potatoes, fry them on both sides and add a little bit of bacon and chopped onions — a style which is known as Bärner rösti.

Ulf Burbach is the chef at Mövenpick Hotel Prague. Throughout November, the Mövenpick Hotel Restaurant will host a Swiss food festival. Mozartova 1, Prague 5–Smíchov. Tel. 257 151 111.

Züri Gschnätzlets mit Röschti

(Zurich-style veal slices with potato rösti)

Serves four