Mom's Potato Pancakes

A quintessential German treat beloved across every region of Germany, Kartoffelpuffer (German potato pancakes) are not only a favorite dish to serve at home but are also a popular street food found at local Volksfests and holiday events like Fasching, Karneval and Christmas markets.

FMM: When I was young I didn't like these. I remember Mom bringing me dinner when working late at school on some project. I was so disappointed. Now I love these. I like to serve them with bacon and apple sauce which compliment the pancakes so well. Potato pancakes are a Central European staple. Sour cream and apple sauce are traditional. I found out that Plum Butter (German Pflaumenmus) is also popular on potato pancakes.

Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because they have a high starch content, which helps to bind the pancakes together.

4 fresh russet (baking) potatoes, grated (uncooked) (about 3½ lbs.)
1 large onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp salt
Oil or bacon grease, for frying
Sour cream and apple sauce, for serving

Grate the potatoes and onions; place in a bowl of water to keep the potatoes from browning. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, whisk in 2 Tbsp. flour until well blended. Drain the potatoes and onions, then press them together to extract as much liquid as possible. Add to the egg/flour mixture. Season with salt. Using a spoon, mix everything together.

Heat 1/4 inch of oil or bacon grease over medium heat in a cast iron pan. When it is good and hot, scoop 1/4 cup potato mixture (I use a measuring cup) into the pan. Repeat so you have 3 or 4 pancakes in the pan. Flatten the pancakes down with a spatula.

Note: Your oil or bacon grease needs to be hot enough to start to set the pancakes, otherwise the pancakes do not stay together. The burner should be set to medium.

When the pancakes start to turn brown around the edges, use a spatula and turn the pancake around so that the part that was at the edge of the pan is now in the center. This gives you even browning. Flip the pancakes and repeat turning the pancake in the pan about halfway through. Cook until the potatoes are done and the outside is crisp and brown. Keep warm in an oven set to 200 degrees F. while making the rest of the pancakes.

Serve hot with bacon or fried ham, apple sauce (or grape jam) and fresh sour cream. An idea to try: serve with smoked salmon, eggs and sour cream with chives.

I cut the recipe in half and used 2 very large russet potatoes and 1 medium onion and got 8 pancakes, 3 - 3.5 inches across.

Lithuanian Kugelis:

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Serve with cottage cheese or sour cream.

Scandinavian

A Scandinavian treat uses a lefse (thin potato pancake resembling a tortilla) containing Brie cheese and lingonberry jam.