Potato Pancakes

I have been trying to master the potato pancake for years. I remember as a child, my mother would make them for us and I remember them being the perfect combination of crispy, salty and a little sweet. My mom served them with Applesauce when we were growing up, a nod to her Jewish upbringing.

But as I got older, I found that Potato pancakes weren't only a "Jewish" family treat, but that the Polish, the Germans and many other eastern European heritages used them as a staple in their meal planning. I saw people eat them with Sour Cream, Sourcrout, and even Maple Syrup. I was intrigued!

However... for a long, long time the Potato Pancake eluded me. Honestly, I struggled with the binding. I tried flour, I tried eggs... a friend even recommended leftover mashed potatoes and bread crumbs.

{I TRIED IT ALL} 

I convinced myself that the Potato Pancake just wouldn't be part of my meal planning and I'd have to settle for visiting mom on occasion or the random restaurant for the best tastes.

And then... Pinterest. YES! I've said before that I am a crazy Pinterest lover - I've got like 10,000 pins. And the recipes and tips, tricks and hints I've learned over the past 2 years have molded me into quite the baker, and quite the cook. I LOVE IT! And with all those tips under my belt, I was prepared to attack the Potato Pancake again.

I. Rocked. It. 

I'm not lying. These are phenomenal. Delish. A fast, easy meal. Served with Applesauce and Sausage, Sour Cream and pork shops, or just plain with a little salt and pepper - it's hard to walk away from the serving platter with just one or two of these! 

Now this particular time, I cheated a little. Normally I would have peeled and shredded a few russets with my box grater and then squeezed them dry. This time though, I used a bag of refridgerated shredded "Simply Potatoes" which are generally available in the Dairy section of the local grocery store. Since I was hungry, and had a short cut ready to go in the fridge, I decided that was the best way to go.

When you get ready to make your pancakes, make sure that the butter/oil in the pan is nice and hot, but not burning. Keep your pan on a nice steady heat, and when the pancake edges start to look crispy  - then you can turn them with a wide spatula. Once they are golden brown and crispy on both sides, you can serve them up on a plate with whatever you like for condiments :)

Enjoy!

Potato Pancake Recipe

3 large russet potatoes or (1) 24oz bag of Simply Potatoes 

2 Eggs 

2-3 Tablespoons Flour 

1 Crushed Garlic Clove

1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg 

Salt & Pepper to taste 

If you are using a bag of pre-shredded potatoes, you can skip step 1. 

1.) Peel, clean and Shred Potatoes. Then squeeze as much of the starchy liquid as possible from the Potatoes.

2.) Heat a non stick, or stainless steel pan over a med-low heat and add a little butter and olive oil.

3.) Crack and wisk two eggs into large mixing bowl. Add Flour, Garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix together until fully incorporated and flour is not lumpy. 

4.) Stir the shredded potatoes into the egg/flour mixture. It should combine into a stiff mix, not too runny. 

 5.) Take large spoonfuls of the Potato mix and drop into the hot butter oil in the pan. Flatten them out until they are the pancake size you like. Take care that they aren't too thick and the middles don't cook, or too thin that they burn.

6.) Once they are nice and golden on one side, flip and cook until golden on the other side.

Serve and enjoy! 

***Disclaimer:  all of my pics are taken from my phone camera. I'm not a fancy photographer and I don't even have a fancy camera.... don't let that dissuade you - the food. IS. good. :)