I travelled in Poland last year and found them made in various styles. I make them how my dad taught me: finely grated potato and onion, let it drain an hour, add a little potato starch and fry on medium heat, medium thickness, maybe 1/2 centimetre or a little more. If the pan is not hot enough they can fall apart or be grey or gooey. I don't feel I've mastered it yet, so I"m interested to hear any tips.
I saw a recipe with egg. Tried that. It tasted different.
The key to good potato pancakes is using the right potatoes and cooking oil.
The ingredients are pretty basic, grated potato, flour, salt, use onions for taste,
Select a very dense potato (like the type used for frying chips) and most important use a high temperature oil like cotton seed oil (this will ensure a crisp potato cake without burning)
The key to good potato cakes is the potatoes you select and type of oil (never use vegetable/olive oil) Use the same method to make the best chips
Forgot to mention use a couple of eggs for taste and to bond the ingrediants,
Basically anything with a yellow flesh is best for frying.
Sometimes, Polish potatoes are excellent for making potato pancakes, However from my experience they are not good for making chips, As somebody mentioned before that "BINJE" potatoes seem to be the best for french fries. As a matter of interest Mcdonald's use that potato here in Oz, The best potato's grow in Tasmania which has a climate which is similar to that of Poland.
You can also add chunks of fried bacon to your prepared potato pancake mixture and bake it in the oven. Don't make it too thick or it will not get crispy. Cut it in squares and serve with cold milk. Yum mm.
Ya know, this is something that I never could quite aquire a taste for. I've had potato pancakes a few times... I think it is the smell or something. Im pretty sure my family eats them with maple syrup on them... I think that's my turn off. I don't like syrup. :)
I always had them plain at home. But in Poland they came with mushroom sauce, red sauce, you name it. I like them with a big salad now, to balance off the exquisite greasy starchy saltiness.
Here is what I learned from my Mom: 4 finely grated potatoes 2 eggs palm full onion flakes 2 tsp. salt flour as needed Put four New or White potatoes, cut into chunks, in a food processer. Add eggs, dried onions, salt and process them until they are almost liquid. Remove from processer to a mixing bowl and incorporate flour until the mixture thickens. (there should be NO liquid.....much like oatmeal) Fry in medium hot skillet with peanut oil. Peanut oil has a high smoke point and is easily digestable. Serve with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or spread on jelly or jam. They are good later at room temperature also.
Try to add black caviar - you can get this kind of placki ziemniaczane in "Dom Polski" - which is one of the best Polish restaurants in Warsaw.
Another delicious way of "placki ziemniaczane" is "Placek po Cygansku"(gypsy pancake) -standard potato pancakes with goulash on top and sour cream - really nice
I remember this recipe for potato pancakes, the way my Mother made them:
4-5 peeled, finely grated potatoes 1 small onion grated 1 egg 2 tbs flour pinch of salt Vegetable oil
Mix grated potatoes & onion and let them drain in a collander to get rid of excess water. Add a beaten egg and flour. Add salt.
Using a tablespoon, add a little batter into a skillet filled with hot oil, spreading the batter thinly around. You want your pancakes to be thin & crisp, so don't mound too much batter in the skillet. Fry till the edges turn light brown. Turn to a platter.
Keep it hot in the warm oven while you fry the rest.
Recipe comes from the "the best of polish cuisine in krakow" and is recipes used at the Polakowski self service restaurant on ul.Miodowa
2lbs potatoes 1 medium onion 2 egg yolks 2 tbsp wheat flour salt black pepper 1/2 cup oil for frying
1. rinse and peel the potatoes, grate them finely and squeeze gently 2. peel the onion and grate as well 3. add the onion flour and egg yolks to the potatoes season with salt and pepper and stir well 4. form thin pancakes with a spoon in a pan of hot oil and fry on both sides until golden
I like to use red potatos and plenty of thinly sliced onions. Use only enough flour to get a little bonding eliminate the mosture. Salt and pepper.. or small amount of Thai chilli peppers. I prefer not to use egg. I fry in olive oil. The key to this variation is to spread the potatos very thin... there should be a few holes here and there. This makes the pancake very crispy. I serve with sour cream or plain yogart and apple butter.
