Swiss-Style Crispy Potato Rösti with Fried Eggs

Scrub 1000 g raw potatoes clean and poke them all over with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Place all 1000 g potatoes in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 8 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are parboiled (partially cooked but still quite firm in the center).

Divide the parboiled potatoes: set aside 500 g of the potatoes to cool completely, then place them in a sealed container in the refrigerator to reserve for tomorrow's meal.

Peel the remaining 500 g of warm potatoes and grate them using the coarse side of a box grater into a large bowl.

Peel and coarsely grate 100 g carrot, then add it to the bowl with the grated potatoes.

Grate 100 g mild cheddar cheese. Add 50 g of the grated cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper to the potato-carrot mixture, tossing gently to combine.

Melt 15 g butter with 5 ml vegetable oil in a 25 cm non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the potato-carrot mixture to the pan, pressing it down gently with a spatula to form a flat, compact cake. Cook undisturbed for 6 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy.

Carefully slide the rösti onto a large flat plate. Invert the pan over the plate and flip both together to return the rösti to the pan, uncooked side down. Add another 15 g butter around the edges of the pan, top the rösti with the remaining 50 g cheddar cheese, and cook for another 6 minutes until crispy on the bottom and the cheese is melted.

While the rösti finishes, heat 5 ml vegetable oil in a separate non-stick skillet over medium heat. Crack 4 eggs into the pan and cook for 3 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks remain runny. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Finely chop 5 g fresh chives.

Slide the crispy rösti onto a serving board, slice into wedges, and top with the 4 fried eggs. Garnish with the chopped chives and serve immediately.

To store the remaining block of cheddar cheese, wrap it tightly in wax paper first, then loosely in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator door to keep it fresh and prevent mold.