Swiss Rösti and Poached Eggs

PreparationMilton's Method Scrub the potatoes and place them, with their skins still on, in a large pan filled with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes (they should become slightly more tender but remain firm), then drain and allow them to cool for at least 30 minutes. Peel the potatoes, then coarsely grate them into a bowl with a hand grater, adding plenty of seasoning and the minced cloves of garlic. Make sure the garlic and seasoning are evenly distributed. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. When the pan is hot, add the potato. Cook for five minutes over fairly high heat. When the underside begins to turn golden, flip the mixture over (it won't stick together at this stage), then, using a metal slice, divide it into four roughly circular "cakes," about an inch deep, in the pan. Press each "cake" down slightly with the slice and cook for a further five minutes on high heat, then flip them over (the potato should now be sticking together) and turn down the heat to low-medium. Cook gently for another 10 minutes on each side, checking occasionally to make sure that the potato does not burn. About five minutes before your rösti is ready, heat some salted water in a saucepan with the vinegar, for poaching the eggs. The temperature is right when there are little bubbles slowly rising to the surface; the water should not be boiling vigorously. Break the eggs into the water and cook on low to medium heat for 4-5 minutes for a soft-poached egg. Divide the rösti between two plates. Drain the eggs using a slotted spoon, rinse under a little cold water, then drain once more, and place an egg on each rösti. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. Reprinted with permission from The Hungover Coobkook by Milton Crawford. Copyright © 2011 by Milton Crawford. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Amateur chef, professional boozer, poet, traveler and essayist, Milton Crawford is also a fantastic drinker. He describes drinking as one of his true talents in life. He states that "seven days without a drink makes one weak." He once said that a hangover is like being crucified—it offers ordinary mortals the chance of resurrection on a daily basis. His Politics are libertarian (to say the least). His heroes are people who found the palace of wisdom via the road of excess, to paraphrase William Blake. They include Tolstoy and Buddha. His ambition is to survive for long enough to become a similarly wise man in his old age as these two grand ex-debauchees. When he's not drunk, Milton reads, writes, cooks, travels and swims. He has a cat and occasionally lives in London because it's "good for his career".

PreparationMilton's Method Scrub the potatoes and place them, with their skins still on, in a large pan filled with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes (they should become slightly more tender but remain firm), then drain and allow them to cool for at least 30 minutes. Peel the potatoes, then coarsely grate them into a bowl with a hand grater, adding plenty of seasoning and the minced cloves of garlic. Make sure the garlic and seasoning are evenly distributed. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. When the pan is hot, add the potato. Cook for five minutes over fairly high heat. When the underside begins to turn golden, flip the mixture over (it won't stick together at this stage), then, using a metal slice, divide it into four roughly circular "cakes," about an inch deep, in the pan. Press each "cake" down slightly with the slice and cook for a further five minutes on high heat, then flip them over (the potato should now be sticking together) and turn down the heat to low-medium. Cook gently for another 10 minutes on each side, checking occasionally to make sure that the potato does not burn. About five minutes before your rösti is ready, heat some salted water in a saucepan with the vinegar, for poaching the eggs. The temperature is right when there are little bubbles slowly rising to the surface; the water should not be boiling vigorously. Break the eggs into the water and cook on low to medium heat for 4-5 minutes for a soft-poached egg. Divide the rösti between two plates. Drain the eggs using a slotted spoon, rinse under a little cold water, then drain once more, and place an egg on each rösti. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. Reprinted with permission from The Hungover Coobkook by Milton Crawford. Copyright © 2011 by Milton Crawford. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Amateur chef, professional boozer, poet, traveler and essayist, Milton Crawford is also a fantastic drinker. He describes drinking as one of his true talents in life. He states that "seven days without a drink makes one weak." He once said that a hangover is like being crucified—it offers ordinary mortals the chance of resurrection on a daily basis. His Politics are libertarian (to say the least). His heroes are people who found the palace of wisdom via the road of excess, to paraphrase William Blake. They include Tolstoy and Buddha. His ambition is to survive for long enough to become a similarly wise man in his old age as these two grand ex-debauchees. When he's not drunk, Milton reads, writes, cooks, travels and swims. He has a cat and occasionally lives in London because it's "good for his career".