Farmer’s rösti

1. Scrub potatoes thoroughly, if desired. Place in a saucepan of cold salted water and bring to boil. Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool, then peel off the skins. Grated potatoes roughly, or cut into very thin strips.
2. Fry bacon in a non-stick pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Add diced onion to bacon and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
3. Combine potatoes with bacon and onion mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in pan. Lift potato mixture into the pan, spread it out to cover the base and pat the top gently with a spatula until even.
4. Sauté until the base is crisp and golden brown. If you are not using cheese, carefully turn rösti over and sauté other side.
5. If using cheese, sprinkle rösti generously with cheese and grill until the cheese melts and just begins to turn golden brown.
6. Serve immediately with steamed baby spinach and lightly poached eggs, if desired.