Polish Style Potato Pancakes
Traditional Polish potato pancakes are a simple dish made with grated potatoes, onions, eggs, flour, salt, and pepper. There are many variations of the recipe, but the basic one is a great way to use up leftover potatoes.
preparation: 15 minutes
making: 45 minutes
total: 1 hour(s) 00 minutes
servings: 4 per portion, 16 pancakes
nutrition: 288 calories per serving
cuisine: Polish
Ingredients
- 1kg of potatoes
- 1 onion
- ½ red bell pepper, optional
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- oil, for greasing
Method
Peel and rinse the potatoes.
You can use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife to remove the skin. Then, rinse the potatoes under cold water to remove any dirt or debris.
Grate the potatoes on a large mesh grater.
This will create long, thin shreds of potato. You can also use a food processor to grate the potatoes.
Place the grated potatoes in a large bowl.
In some regions, grated potatoes on a fine mesh may be more popular.
Peel the onion and finely chop it.
Cut the red pepper into small cubes.
Add the onion and red pepper to the bowl with the potatoes.
Then, add the egg and flour.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Mix everything together until well combined.
Just before frying, squeeze the potato mixture to remove any excess water.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Just before adding the potato mixture, reduce the heat to medium.
The oil should be hot enough to make a few drops of water dance on its surface. The biggest mistake is putting the potato mixture in warm oil, as this will make the pancakes soggy and greasy.
Use a spoon to scoop a portion of the mixture and place it in the pan. Flatten the top of the pancake with the back of the spoon.
Fry the pancakes for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
If you see that there is any water in the bowl with the potato mixture between batches of frying, squeeze out any excess water.
You should add more oil to the pan as needed during frying.
The pancakes should be fried in a sufficient amount of oil, but that does not necessarily mean they will be greasy.
After frying, place the pancakes on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Then, transfer the pancakes to a plate.
Serve hot, straight from the pan, and enjoy with your favourite toppings, such as tomato ketchup, sour cream, cranberry sauce, or even white sugar. The choice is yours!
Please note that not all potatoes are suitable for frying. For this recipe, I used British Maris Piper potatoes, which are a starchy variety that is known for their crispy texture when fried.
