I am sorry to report that at 9:17 p.m. EST on Sunday, September 15, 2013, I saw a mouse in my apartment.
I was sitting on the couch, happily watching a movie with my roommate, when the unwelcome visitor casually walked across the living room and disappeared around the corner into the hallway. I immediately informed Logan that we had an emergency. His first response was, “Go see where it went! You have shoes on!” This was not exactly the confident, take-charge reaction I had been hoping for, but eventually he got up, armed with a cardboard box, and went to investigate.
After a minute or two, he returned and announced that the mouse had vanished. This was not comforting. Mice do not simply vanish. They hide. Then, when you least expect it, they return.
They always return.
Logan tried to reassure me by suggesting that the mouse had probably squeezed back out under the front door. I was skeptical, since the gap is only about a quarter of an inch high, but he insisted that mice have “squishy bones.” I spent the rest of the night searching the internet for things like “how flexible are mouse bones?” and “can mice kill you?” It was not my finest evening.
If you are thinking that one mouse is not a big deal, or that mice are cute, please know that I strongly disagree. I have never been much of an animal person, and rodents are at the very bottom of my list. Even as a child, I recoiled when classmates brought pet mice, rats, hamsters, or gerbils to school for show-and-tell. Later, whenever I misbehaved as a teenager, my mother threatened to send me to the Jackson Laboratory in Maine as an intern, specifically because there were many mice there. So yes, seeing a mouse in my apartment was basically my personal nightmare.
Unfortunately, this was not my first apartment rodent experience. In my previous place, lovingly known as the doorless wonder, I once saw a very large mouse, or possibly a rat, run out from under the bed and disappear behind the refrigerator. Since I had never handled a rodent-related home invasion before, I experienced a full range of emotions: fear, disgust, anger, self-pity, and a deep desire to move immediately.
Naturally, I called Logan for guidance. His advice was, “Get on the bed and stay there until I get home.” I was not sure how that would solve the problem, but I followed the instruction anyway. I convinced myself that a mouse could not climb my 14-inch bed frame, which was probably not true, but it helped me survive the moment.
After that incident, I spent the rest of my time in that apartment convinced that I was living in a mouse hotel. I could not see them, but I imagined a family of rodents under the bed, behind the refrigerator, or worse, in my closet. My father did not help when he heard the story and said, “You know, there’s never just one.” That comment was not exactly soothing, but it did motivate me to ask the landlord to seal the hole in the floor around the radiator. I felt better after that, but I never completely stopped wondering what might be lurking nearby.
Moving into my current apartment was one of the best things that had happened to me in a long time, which made Sunday night’s mouse sighting especially upsetting. Since Logan was going to be out of town for the week, I decided to face the problem head-on. On Monday morning, I ordered six electromagnetic and ultrasonic pest repellers. The package claimed that one unit should be enough for an apartment, but I was not interested in taking chances.
Since plugging in my small army of electronic rodent repellers, I have not seen any more signs of invaders. Still, the whole experience left me feeling uneasy. And when I am anxious, I cook. Specifically, I make comfort food in generous quantities. After several rounds of culinary self-soothing, my favorite creation was this Potato Rosti with Pancetta and Mozzarella.
Potatoes are one of the most reliable comfort foods, and potato rosti is one of the best ways to enjoy them. Often described as Swiss hash browns, a rosti is made with coarsely grated potatoes that are pressed together and pan-fried until deeply golden. The result is a large, crisp potato pancake with a crunchy exterior and a tender, almost fluffy center.
A classic potato rosti is already delicious, but this version takes it further with salty pancetta and creamy fresh mozzarella. The rosti is cooked in rendered pancetta fat and olive oil, which gives the potatoes incredible flavor and helps create that beautifully crisp crust. Fresh arugula and juicy baby heirloom or grape tomatoes add brightness, peppery bite, sweetness, and acidity.
When you slice into this potato rosti, you find little pieces of pancetta throughout and warm melted mozzarella in the middle. It is rustic, rich, and deeply satisfying without being fussy. The tomatoes and arugula keep everything fresh, which makes this dish feel more balanced than a standard plate of hash browns.
This Potato Rosti with Pancetta and Mozzarella works beautifully as a casual main dish, but it also makes an excellent side for chicken, fish, steak, or roasted vegetables. It is also very good topped with a fried egg for breakfast or brunch. If you want a lighter version, you can reduce the oil, bake the rosti on a rimmed baking sheet, add vegetables, or use a lower-fat cheese. The basic rosti method is flexible, so feel free to adapt it to your taste.
Embrace the rosti, friends. Crispy potatoes have never looked better.
Potato Rosti with Pancetta and Mozzarella: (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 small yellow onion, minced
4 cups grated Yukon Gold potatoes, from 3 to 4 large peeled potatoes
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 cup baby heirloom or grape tomatoes
1 cup arugula
Preparing your Potato Rosti with Pancetta and Mozzarella:
Heat a medium non-stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan, reserving the rendered fat, and set both aside.
Place the minced onion in a large bowl. Peel the potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. Add the grated potatoes to the bowl with the onion and mix well.
Remove as much moisture as possible from the potato and onion mixture. You can wrap the mixture in a clean dish towel and twist tightly over the sink, or you can squeeze handfuls of the mixture and transfer the dried potatoes to a clean bowl. This step is essential for a crispy potato rosti.
Mix the cooked pancetta into the potato mixture. Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved pancetta fat and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet until very hot and lightly shimmering. To test the heat, add one strand of potato; if it sizzles immediately, the pan is ready. Carefully add half of the potato mixture in an even layer, top with the diced mozzarella, then add the remaining potato mixture. Press gently with a spatula.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce the heat slightly. The potatoes should continue to sizzle gently without burning. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the underside is golden brown and the potatoes are becoming tender.
Flip the rosti by placing a plate over the skillet and carefully inverting the pan so the rosti lands on the plate.
Heat another tablespoon of reserved pancetta fat and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. When hot, slide the rosti back into the pan. Cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the second side is browned and the center is tender. You can test the center with the tip of a sharp knife.
Remove the rosti from the pan and let it cool slightly.
While the rosti cooks, slice the tomatoes in half with a serrated knife and place them in a small bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Slice the rosti, top it with arugula and tomatoes, and serve immediately. Potatoes were definitely a good choice.
Potato Rosti with Pancetta and Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 4 cups grated Yukon Gold potatoes, from 3 to 4 large peeled potatoes
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1 cup baby heirloom or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup arugula
Instructions
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Heat a medium non-stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove the pancetta, reserve the rendered fat, and set both aside.
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Place the minced onion in a large bowl. Peel the potatoes and grate them using the large holes of a box grater. Mix the grated potatoes with the onion.
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Remove as much moisture from the potato and onion mixture as possible. Wrap it in a clean dish towel and wring it tightly over the sink, or squeeze it by the handful and transfer the dried mixture to a clean bowl.
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Stir the cooked pancetta into the potato mixture. Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of reserved pancetta fat and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until very hot. Add half of the potato mixture in an even layer, top with the mozzarella, then add the remaining potato mixture and press gently with a spatula.
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Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce the heat slightly. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown and the potatoes are tender.
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Place a plate over the skillet and carefully flip the rosti onto the plate.
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Heat another tablespoon of reserved pancetta fat and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Slide the rosti back into the pan and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until browned on the second side and tender in the center. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly.
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While the rosti cooks, halve the tomatoes and place them in a small bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
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Slice the rosti, top with arugula and tomatoes, and serve immediately.
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I was happy to be part of Food Network’s Summer Fest this week. For more potato recipe inspiration, the featured ideas included Parmesan roasted potatoes, Southern green beans and new potatoes, a guide to colorful potato varieties, fully loaded green chile potato skins, sweet potato preparations, Basque tuna stew with peppers and potatoes, broccoli cheese patties, salt-encrusted new potatoes with mustard-mayo dip, sweet potato and russet pancakes with chipotle mayo, roasted sweet potato fries, sweet potato soufflé, Peruvian-style potato salad with egg and yellow chile, and more simple ways to ease out of summer with potatoes.