Non-VegetarianAlpine Italian cuisine Starters

Patate alla Trentina

Name: Patate alla Trentina
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 800 g semi-waxy mountain potatoes; 100 g speck; 150 g Yellow onion; 25 g Unsalted butter; 15 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 1 sprig Fresh rosemary; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Patate alla Trentina are boiled mountain potatoes roughly crushed and pan-fried with sweet onions and cured speck until golden and richly crusted.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 360 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

800 g semi-waxy mountain potatoes — unpeeled, scrubbed clean
100 g speck — lightly smoked cured ham, cut into thin strips
150 g Yellow onion — thinly sliced
25 g Unsalted butter — or traditional lard
15 ml Extra virgin olive oil — to prevent butter from burning
1 sprig Fresh rosemary — needles finely chopped
½ tsp Fine sea salt — adjust to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper — to season

Equipment

•Large saucepan
•Colander
•Cast-iron skillet
•Wooden spatula

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 360 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 41 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 9 g
calories: 360 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the whole unpeeled potatoes into a pot of cold salted water.
2
Bring to a boil and simmer for twenty-five minutes until fork-tender.
3
Drain the cooked potatoes and allow them to cool slightly.
4
Peel the warm potatoes using a small paring knife.
5
Roughly crush the potatoes with a fork into coarse, uneven chunks.
6
Melt the butter with olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
7
Add the sliced onion and speck to the hot skillet.
8
Fry for six minutes until the onion collapses and the speck crisps.
9
Add the crushed potatoes and chopped rosemary into the pan.
10
Season lightly with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
11
Press the potatoes flat and fry undisturbed for eight minutes until crusted.
12
Flip in rough sections and fry for five minutes until browned and serve.

Chef's tips

Do not mash the potatoes into a purée; uneven, broken chunks allow steam to escape and create the best crunchy edges. Let the potatoes sit undisturbed in the hot pan so a proper golden crust forms before stirring. If you have leftover boiled potatoes from the previous day, they will crisp even better.

Ingredient substitutions

Speck → smoked pancetta, though speck offers the authentic pine-smoke aroma
unsalted butter → traditional lard (strutto) or extra-virgin olive oil for a dairy-free version

Storage

Keep leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat in a dry hot skillet over medium heat until sizzling and crisp again.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Over-mashing the potatoes into a smooth paste rather than leaving rustic crushed chunks.
•Stirring constantly, which prevents the essential crispy brown crust from developing on the pan base.
•Over-salting early before tasting the natural saltiness released by the rendered speck.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot straight from the pan alongside grilled Trentino luganega sausages.Pair with pan-seared carne salada and braised sauerkraut.Accompany with a crisp green salad and a glass of Teroldego Rotaliano.