What's a good recipe for potato pancakes?

[mackro]

Just totally random question I had.  

Pony up the goods, Cooks To Jakarta!

[mackro]

I've been seriously trying to experiment with this..

tonight, I think I'm going to liquefy a yukon gold potato, about 5 oz. of defrosted frozen sweet corn, then add some masa flour, some cornmeal, some pepper, paprika, kosher salt, and some boiling hot water, and mix it for a while, and try to make a good batter for making griddle cakes out of this.

Am I about to do something horribly wrong, other than figuratively give the finger to Atkins and raise the flag for starch?

[John]

I've got a new one in a cookbook downstairs, will post tomorrow but this may be too late for you (although according to me, you can't go far wrong if you're startin' with Yukon Golds)

[swilkes]

I don't have an exact recipe, just what's in my head, passed down from my mother, which is:

1. Peel & grate a buncha potatoes--hmm, maybe 4 or 5 medium sized? Yellow or white, but not one of the "waxy" varieties (e.g., small red ones). Grate first with the big grater holes, then a bit with the smaller ones. Or, use a cuisinart, but don't puree the taters. You want some chunks in there.
2. Drain the gratings by pressing with a wooden spoon into a metal sieve. get rid of as much liquid as you can, but not so that it's bone-dry.
3. Mix in 1 or two eggs, or the equivalent egg substitute. I tried arrowroot once, and it didn't work, but maybe you'll have better luck.
4. Add a few tablespoons of matzoh meal, enough to soak up excess liquid from the eggs and taters, but again, not till its bone dry. I have never used any starch other than matzoh meal, but I suppose regular bread crumbs might suffice.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour canola, safflower, or vegetable oil about an inch deep into a deep-sided frying pain, heat till it crackles when you drop something in it, and be sure to turn the overhead fan on.
7. Carefully drop big spoonfuls of potato pancake batter into the oil, taking care not to splash the oil, and patting the spoonfuls down a bit so they're flat.
8. Watch the edges carefully. when they brown, flip the pancakes. Wait about a minute less than the time it took to cook the first side, then pull them out with a slotted spatula, and place on a plate w/napkins to drain the oil. If you start to run out of oil, add more, but wait for it to reheat before you add more pancakes.

I hope that wasn't too wordy or confusing. Mazel tov!

p.s. Mackro, your recipe sounds pretty good, too! I just bought a bunch of masa flour, so I might try it out!

[Anonymous]

My friend Matti from Baltimore taught me to save the potato starch that collects in the bottom of the bowl while draining the grated potatoes and then mix it back in with everything.

[Anonymous]

My friend Matti from Baltimore taught me to save the potato starch that collects in the bottom of the bowl while draining the grated potatoes and then mix it back in with everything.

[mackro]

Well, I just tried the above recipe I mentioned way up there above, and they came out alright!  They look like regular pancakes, but taste like corn/grits..  Very rich and creamy.  Definitely something best eaten with Mexican condiments like guacamole or salsa (if you want to keep it vegan) or shredded pepper jack cheese or a little butter/spread.

Thank you for that real potato pancake recipe, swilkes!  Nummy.

[JamesSchneider]

I think I've either got the plague or the flu or something right now, but when I get better I'm totally making these.

"shredded pepper jack cheese or a little butter/spread"

We dont really have pepper jack in god damn Britain, so I'ma have to go with some sunflower spread and maybe some home-made salsa. Sweet christ I'm hungry.

[Anonymous]

swilkes posted a pretty good recipe if you want a latke-style potato pancake -- something that look sort of like hash browns. The matzoh is key. Mackro's recipe is more of a -- hm, I want to say Swedish? style cake.