Author Notes
This is a "poor man's" recipe that's (still) common in all of of Germany. The German names vary depending on the region you are in, but the basic concept is always the same. It's used like a pancake or crepes or a tortilla or a plain pizza dough. You can put nearly everything on it and it tastes great. I introduced this as a starter to a cooking class I attended (in Waco, TX) and was totally surprised by the enthusiasm it induced in class. - bueggel —bueggel
Test Kitchen Notes
I’d expected these potato pancakes to be dense because of the quantity of flour but could not have been more wrong; they were light and creamy in the center. The trick is to not push the potatoes down as I did with one. Also, the cooking time was more like 3 minutes per side. Because we ate a lot of potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce over the weekend, I wanted to try a different topping and used the garlicky mayonnaise from the Spanish Roasted Potato Salad that I fell in love with this summer. That was a great combo and these pancakes are delish. - lorinarlock —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1000 g
potatoes, peeled and coursely grated
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2 tablespoons
salt - or to taste
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2
onions, minced
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2
eggs
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1 cup
flour
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3 to 5 tablespoons
milk or half and half
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pepper to taste
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oil for baking, preferably neutral in taste
Directions
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Put potatoes into a cheesecloth and press to remove fluid. Collect fluid in a bowl and wait until starch has settled - about 5 minutes. Carefully remove fluid, leaving starch on bottom of bowl.
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Fill in potatoes, onions, salt and pepper (optional). Mix thoroughly.
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Combine flour, cream/half and half and eggs in a bowl. Beat until a soft dough has developed. Add an egg if dough is too thick or flour if dough is too thin.
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Pour dough over potato-mixture and mix.
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In a cast iron pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium to high heat.
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Pour in a quarter of the potato-mix, about half an inch thick.
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Cook for about 5 minutes, then take out, pour another 2 tablespoons of oil into the pan, turn the pancake and cook other side accordingly. The pancake shouldn't stick before turning and a nice brown crust should have developed. NOTE: The time between developing a nice brown crust and a black stinking mess can be VERY short!
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Cut pancake in quarters and serve on plates.
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Recommended accompaniments are: 1. apple-sauce or -butter 2. smoked salmon or any other smoked fish 3. any other ingredient (chorizo crumbles and chillies, sliced apple with honey cured ham, cooked peaches with sauce, ... etc.)
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