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Plain in pigna
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Plain in pigna

Baked potato cake with cheese

Plain in pigna, Romansh for 'full in the oven', is the old dish of the Engadine valley around St Moritz: raw grated potato mixed with milk and butter, baked slowly in a buttered dish in the tiled oven (pigna) until it forms a thick, crisp-edged cake. It is usually studded with bacon or salsiz sausage; this vegetarian version adds mountain cheese and onion, and is served with apple sauce or salad. A common mistake is leaving the grated potato to stand, which turns it grey and watery. Chef's tip: grate the potatoes straight into the milk and bake at once. Mountain cheese is usually made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one.

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