Potato pancakes are the apex potato choice. Each perfectly imperfect circle is a personal-sized hash brown that delivers more of the brown that we want from our breakfast potato hash.
Plus, it’s an acceptable fish fry side.
Plus, plus, name another potato choice that’s as tasty with maple syrup or applesauce.
Karen Mansker emailed her family’s Potato Pancake recipe at a time when Wisconsinites are flush with freshly made homemade applesauce.
“This is a recipe that was handed down from my grandma, and my mom made them very often,” Masker wrote. “These potato pancakes taste like potatoes, not the flour-filled breakfast pancakes. I like to serve them with breakfast sausages and apple or pear sauce (that’s the menu I grew up with).”
Grandma’s recipe? This is one of those rare days in 2020 when the news keeps getting better and better.
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1½ tablespoons flour
1¼ teaspoon salt
6 medium Russet potatoes, finely shredded
1 small onion, grated (optional)
Canola oil
In a large mixing bowl, slightly beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
Stir in potato shreds until well combined.
In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat.
Form potato mixture into thin pancakes and lower gently into oil.
Fry pancakes until golden brown on the bottom and flip. Continue frying until the other side is golden brown.
Drain briefly on paper towels and serve while hot.
(Recipe adapted from Karen Mansker)
TASTING NOTES: Somewhere between a small hash brown and a colossal tater tot, these potato pancakes strike a perfect blend of crispy salty exterior and pillowy, potato-y interior. Just enough salt keeps the flavor from falling flat.
Personally, I’d add a tablespoon or two of onion next time.
EQUIPMENT: Grater, three measuring spoons, large mixing bowl, a fork, a spatula and a sauté pan or cast iron skillet. While technically not equipment, you will need plenty of paper towels or a cheesecloth.
PRACTICALITY: It only took a few minutes to grate the potatoes into shreds. I did hover nervously over each batch of pancakes frying in oil, peeking repeatedly at bottoms of the potato patties to catch them at peak golden-ness. I peeked less often at each batch as my instincts improved to gauge doneness. (That, or eating one of the first potato pancakes, magically imbued me with patience.)
COST: $1.50. At that price, the only limit to your pancake output is your willingness to shred potatoes.
HACKS/INSIGHTS: Mansker’s cooking directions were as minimal as the ingredients. Because I’m not particularly skilled in the art of frying, I incorporated some techniques from an archived Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recipe by Carol Deptolla.
Remove as much water from the potatoes as possible. Dab the shreds with paper towels at minimum (that’s what I did, because I’m a minimalist at heart) or put them in cheesecloth and squeeze out a zucchini-isque amount of water.
Lots of liquid needed to be poured out of my mixing bowl between frying batches because I did the minimum.
I used about a quarter-inch of oil in the bottom of the pan but didn’t turn on the burner until I had the “batter” ready to form pancakes. Hot oil always gets my undivided attention thanks to a thrilling childhood memory of the time a stovetop popcorn oil fire nearly set the kitchen on fire.
This recipe produced nine pancakes using about ⅓ cup of mix to form each. I squeezed plenty of water from each pancake as I pressed potato shreds in my hands. (Again, regretting my earlier minimalist water-removal effort.)
Not wanting to tempt the fury of the hot oil, I used the spatula to lower each pancake into the pan.
Cheat before flipping. Peek at the underside of the pancake to make sure it has achieved full golden-brown status before flipping and again before removing it from the oil.
Turns out the most difficult part of this dish was resisting the urge to eat them all before taking photos.
ASK ME CULINARY QUESTIONS OR TEACH ME YOUR RECIPES: Please keep sending your questions, feedback and recipes you’d like reviewed. I’m always happy to consider a favorite family recipe (regardless of its consideration as part of the No Budget Cooking Series).
ABOUT THIS SERIES: I test recipes found on food packages in my very average kitchen with my moderately above average cooking talent and meh presentation skills. I’ll provide some insights and basic cooking tips. If you don’t find these stories useful, hopefully you find them entertaining.
More:Easy recipes tested and reviewed here. Follow these links to past No Budget Cooking Series stories
Contact Daniel Higgins dphiggin@gannett.com. Follow @HigginsEats on Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook.
