Zürcher Geschnetzeltes recipe: Zurich's veal in cream with rösti

This Zürcher Geschnetzeltes recipe follows the rule that defines Zurich's best-known dish: the veal spends seconds, not minutes, in the pan, and the wine, mushrooms and cream are reduced around it so the meat goes back in only at the end to warm through.

The Michelin Guide Switzerland 2026, unveiled in Andermatt on 2 November, dominates this week's talk in Swiss kitchens, but the dish most visitors to Zurich order is far older than any star. It first appears in a 1947 cookbook as veal strips in white wine, cream and demi-glace; mushrooms came later. Zürich Tourism lists the Kronenhalle and the Zunfthaus zur Waag among the old dining rooms known for it, served with rösti.

This version adapts a recipe by chef Thomas Huber published by GaultMillau, the guide that recently named Switzerland's first vegetarian chef of the year, with one stock-and-cream reduction in place of his separate base sauce.

The veal spends seconds in the pan; the sauce does the slow work.

For where to order it in town, see our guide to what to eat in Zurich.

Ingredients

• 600g veal topside or cushion, cut into thin strips about 5mm thick
• 800g waxy potatoes, boiled in their skins the day before and chilled
• 3 tbsp clarified butter
• 30g butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 250g white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 150ml dry white wine
• 150ml veal or chicken stock
• 250ml double cream
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Peel and coarsely grate the cold potatoes. Cooked, chilled potatoes have set their starch, so the strands crisp instead of turning gluey.
2. Heat 2 tbsp clarified butter in a 24cm non-stick pan, add the potato, salt it and press into a loose cake. Fry over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, flip it using a plate and cook 10 to 15 minutes more. Gentle heat builds a crust without leaving the centre raw.
3. Heat the remaining clarified butter in a heavy pan until very hot. Season the veal and sear it in two batches for 30 to 60 seconds, then tip it into a sieve over a bowl. A crowded pan would steam the meat.
4. Lower the heat and soften the shallot in the butter for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until dry, then stir in the flour for a minute; it thickens the sauce without a roux.
5. Add the wine and reduce by two thirds, then the stock and meat juices and reduce by half. The flavour comes from these reductions.
6. Add the cream and simmer until it coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Return the veal for a minute without boiling, which would toughen it, then season with salt, pepper and lemon, add the parsley and serve with the rösti.

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes recipe: what to pour

Räuschling, the crisp white grape still grown on the shores of Lake Zurich, or a Riesling-Sylvaner has the acidity to cut through the cream.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use pork or chicken instead of veal? Pork tenderloin takes the same timing and chicken thigh a minute longer. The sauce works the same way.

Can I make it ahead? Take the sauce to the end of step 5 a few hours in advance, then sear the veal just before serving: reheated veal strips turn dry.

What can I serve instead of rösti? Buttered noodles, spätzle, rice or mashed potatoes.